SasuNaru's One Hundred Themes Challenge
by FelisMargarita
Summary: Short little drabbles, most a little over one thousand words per methinks, on what I depict their relationship ought to be. Some are more mature rated and some are pure fluff. Yaoi, SasuNaru, BL.
1. Chapter 1: Introduction

It's my favorite pairing currently, and I've a severe case of writer's block. So, why not?  
The one-hundred theme challenge, -one of them at least- SasuNaru style. 3  


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**1. Introduction**

Naruto Uzumaki was but a little boy when his childhood friend, -his lover to be-, had stepped into his life. It was in the stillness of another boring class, when he and his mother stepped into the Academy. The little blonde noticed the woman's warm and tender smile, mimicked on her son's smaller, triangular face. This boy caught Naruto's attention.

The boy gripped her hand, standing at her side shyly. His other hand ran through his hair, the bangs kept long, the back kept short: -resembling what looked very similar to the rear of a duck, or prairie chicken. It made the young blonde giggle inside. Pale skin was a tendency both seemed to share, along with dark, round doe-eyes and pitch-black hair. Everything about this boy intrigued the small minded Uzumaki, who remained simply fascinated by the new kid. Yet, what kid in all of the class wasn't fascinated?

The most interested however, was indeed the little kitsune of the second row. He was so taken back that he didn't even notice Iruka calling for his attention.

"Naruto! Pay attention!"

The blonde shook his head, firing his gaze back at his teacher: "Yes, sensei?"

"Raise your hand so Sasuke can find a seat by you."

A weak blush sprinkled over the boy's cheeks, still round with baby fat. A small hand rose in the air, making the other boy hesitantly leave his mother's side and inch over to Naruto. He quietly fell into the seat aside the boy. His gaze didn't meet Naruto's, but only followed his mother and Iruka exiting the classroom to discuss things sorrowfully. The blonde was unhappy: even he too paid no attention to him. Naruto's arms folded, letting his head drop against his desk. That is when disappointment set in.

"O-oi, kid."

Naruto's head picked up a little, turning just enough to hold Sasuke's obsidian gaze. He was half tempted to comment about how pretty his eyes were. Of course, he did not because that'd be odd: that was the kind of thing mommies and daddies did with each other when they were being lovey-dovey. It definitely wasn't something Naruto was interested in sharing with the new kid.

"What is it Daisuke?" The six year-old pondered, after he tilted his head with curiosity. His wide blue eyes sparkled like diamonds, which he could almost say made the new boy blush.

"My name is Sasuke. It is not Daisuke, but SAS-uke." The boy's eyes roll in his head, making obvious that he was not amused. Naruto felt a twinge of hurt ripple through his body, which only amplified when Sasuke spat out: "Geeze, even an idiot could've remembered that. You're all looks, no brains."

It was an insulting compliment, and Naruto was hurt: "Well, at least I'm not a jerk like you."

"You're an idiot."

"You're just a fail. It's written all over that smug face of yours."

"At least I don't have dorky whiskers, Urusontonkachi."

"Bastard!"

"Such big words for such a small kid, don't you think that you should clean out that mouth?" Sasuke grinned down at the younger boy, towering just a bit over him. His head held high with vainglory. Naruto cussed under his breath, looking away from him. He could tell, that this boy would be the reason that little Uzumaki finally would go insane. Some introduction this was...


	2. Chapter 2: Love

2. Love

**It started as a simple question.  
**And I would always remember the very first time he had asked it as well.

The sky overhead was grey, full of clouds heavy with a good week of rain and there was very little room for the sun-light to kiss the earth. It was my kind of weather really, -and it was a time where I could enjoy the simpler things of life. Back then when I had the time, I also had an odd hobby: I'd crawl up the side of the Hokage Mountain as to peer down at the world, mesmerized by the streets bright with multicoloured umbrellas. I had always said that I liked watching the 'rain flowers', since it sounded a little more eloquent than people watching. If I had said that, I'd be at risk of sounding like a stalker.

That particular day however, I found my long and weary trudge rather fleeting. I scaled the mountain without once noting how sore my legs were getting from my horrendous trek, as if I had an unknown force pushing me upwards. I kicked a lonely pebble, watching it gradually come to rest beside a larger stone: good, since now it had a friend to ride out the storm with. I let a saddened smile ghost over my cracked lips, knowing quite well that today would be the conclusion to yet another month spent well enough alone. But, I was happy in my isolation for the most part.

After a good ten minutes of hiking, I founded my usual spot but also something else. My slender brows knit together, trying to identify the person sitting under my favourite tree: he was as a drenched rat, black t-shirt clenched tight to his shivering torso, tacky orange pants ripped a little from a brawl, his bronzed skin bruised a beautiful blue, black and purple. It didn't take long for me to figure out that Naruto had dragged his sorry ass out to the top of the mountain after an ambush.

Those ambushes were becoming more and more frequent, and it concerned me. Not that I cared about the knuckle-head that much, but I had to keep my opponent in good shape. I believed in fair fights, even if the odds were already stacked against him.

"Funny, I don't see anybody after that nut." I called out, making obvious my entrance. I pulled my signature smirk to my cheeks, but it was shot down: Naruto didn't even look at me. Now I knew things were a little more serious, and I softened my tone. "Where is your umbrella?"

"Somebody borrowed it."

"If somebody borrows it permanently, it's called stealing. In your case I could call it a mugging." I took my last three steps to him, standing over the boy with a weak smile. Nobody was around, Naruto didn't care and I was in a rare mood, -I could so smile if I saw fit. I tipped my black umbrella a little, tilting it over the blonde as to shelter him from the rain.  
Confused, Naruto looked up at me with a fragile smile. Now, I could see his already ocean-blue eyes were watery. The gears in my head turned, and suddenly things clicked: he had come up the mountain in hopes to cry, alone from the rest of the world.

I lowered myself to my knees, falling back beside the younger boy. As much as I hate to admit it, I felt partially responsible for my other team-mate: as a team member, as an enemy, as a rival, and as a friend. My gaze fell out to the crowded streets of Konoha, counting colors and umbrellas as my thoughts bounced about. Yet, all my thoughts quickly crashed to a standstill, -I felt the side of the Kitsune's head fall to my shoulder. I sucked in a shaky breath, startled.

"Sasuke, do you like me? –As a friend I mean."

It took everything I could to merely answer his question.  
How do you wrap up years of rivalry, of him wanting to beat my head in due to me flaunting the fact I was greater, bigger, and faster than he? How do you say 'I hate you' without saying it?  
How do you say 'I have to care about you, because you're my team-mate' without sounding like a complete sap? How on earth was I supposed to answer?

Panic wracked my body, gripping the handle to the umbrella just a little bit more. This alerted the blonde over my arm, and taking the hint –the opposite one I wanted him to get- that I couldn't stand the sight of him. Mockingly, it was as if he knew I had no answer and was pouring salt into my wounds. A gentle sigh escaped his lips, pulling himself away.  
I too, let off a sigh. That idiot, couldn't he tell?!

I let a sigh escape my lips, before thrusting my umbrella into his hands and getting to my feet. A blush danced over my pale cheeks, so I turned away so he couldn't see. My feet turned away, pulling me away from confused little Naruto, and soon enough, I was getting well out of ear shot. My back turned to him, so I couldn't see the knowing smile dancing across his bronzed face. It was my unknown mistake, not seeing the beautiful gift of realization sweep over the boy. Instead, I kept the realization to myself, relishing the warm feeling I had left with.

With the back of his free hand, he wiped the falling tears from his beautiful eyes, -now only determination was left in pools of aqua. I could hear it clearly in his voice. Above the pitter-patter of the raindrops, the howling winds rustling the new leaves of the tall trees, the boy called out to me: **"I love you too Sasuke!"**

**

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**Kibby: Hah, just a little longer this time. Really, I could've used many other excerpts I've written for this one, but I found this one kind of cute... -what about you guys? Reviews are welcome!


	3. Chapter 3: Light

3. Light

Sasuke pinched his lips together in thought, staring at the back of his team-member's head as they walked towards the bridge. Something was puzzling him, and no matter how much he thought about it, no answer was made apparent to him. He noted how the boy's lips curled back in a great smile, lighting up his face. He noticed how the boy's eyes sparkled like sapphires when he found even the littlest of things remotely interesting. Also, he knew how the sun got jealous of the color of Naruto's hair color, -a bright blonde that could make one go blind from staring at it long enough. But one thing he noted did not make any sense to him.

From this angle, the boy seemed almost angelic to the Uchiha boy. He was indeed beautiful, -Sasuke wasn't ashamed to admit it now, after grinding himself out for it a month or so- but in the light, Naruto seemed almost heavenly. The light was his element, indeed. But, the blonde seemed to emit it at alarming rates, -or it could've just been Sasuke's wild imagination.

Naruto was walking ahead, so the elder boy couldn't get a proper view of him. Frustration bubbled up inside him: "Oi, Naruto-no-baka, turn around and look at me!"

The blonde complied, letting the smile fall off of his beautiful face. Inwardly, the Uchiha winced at the mere thought that he could make the other's happy demeanour dissipate.

"What is it, Teme?"

"I, uhh..." It wasn't until the question formed in his head, did the cadaverous male realize how odd it would sound. Especially coming out of the likes of him, -a serious, decorous person. So not planning to put at risk marring his otherwise undeviating reputation, Sasuke shook his head. "No, never mind Naruto. It's a stupid question after all."

"Sasuke, tell me! I won't judge you, believe it!" The boy stopped, then restarted to fall in pace at Sasuke's side. He looked up at the taller male, unexpectedly catching the other's gaze for a second or two. The Uchiha broke away, looking ahead. His cheeks were near red with embarrassment, or maybe he was honestly blushing: Naruto couldn't tell. He only knew it was a cute look on the raven-haired boy.

"It's a dumb question Naruto, don't bother." The Uchiha sped up, breaking into the clearing of the training grounds where both their jounin leader and Sakura were waiting. He could only hope that the blush on his cheeks disappeared. The only thing certain to them was that now, both knew they were considerably late, -Kakashi had gotten there before they had. And of course Naruto got the brunt of the reprimanding, since the girl of the team dare not yell at Sasuke.

That little disturbance failed to deter Sasuke's curiosity. And Naruto knew that, since all of training and sparring, he could feel the obsidian gaze on the back of his head. The glare intensified even more so when he was in the light instead of the shadows of the trees. It was driving Naruto stir-crazy. What the hell was it!? Was his shirt backwards or inside out? Did he have a bald spot on the back of his head? Did he randomly grow a third eye or another head without knowing it? He just couldn't figure it out.

Eventually, the young Uzumaki confronted the elder boy after both Sakura and Kakashi had left for home. And it couldn't have been a moment sooner, -Naruto thought the kunichi would never leave Sasuke's side. The cadaverous male stood alone, occasionally firing a few kunai at a tree trunk, aiming for one certain spot. It was one of the few things the blonde admired about his team-mate, fortitude. Sasuke's brows would knit together if he missed even by an inch or so, but he'd go to recollect his throwing artillery and start over again. And-

No, Naruto shook his head trying to rid himself of those thoughts. He had an ulterior motive, and wouldn't falter from it until he got answers. More appropriately, until he was asked that question from earlier he wouldn't back down. He called out, running to the elder boy: "Sasuke!"

The striking boy threw his last kunai, before looking over. Mild distain danced over his features, arms crossed over his chest and looking down at the Uzumaki as if he wasn't worth his time. Although, his lips curled back in his signature sneer, so it meant he wasn't completely disgusted. In fact, if Naruto knew his team-mate well enough, he could say that the ghost of amusement danced over him. Agitation or hilarity, it was as if Sasuke couldn't decipher between the two, -or Naruto just couldn't tell. He could tell that Sasuke wore his poker-face well.

"What were you trying to ask me earlier?"

"Naruto, really?" Sasuke blinked, a chuckle pulling at his cocky voice. The corners of his lips tugged back into either a really good smirk or a failed excuse of a smile. "It's over with. Let it go. I can't even remember-"

"Bull shit, you don't remember." Naruto hissed, forcefully poking the other's chest. It pulled a long sigh from the boy, rubbing another now sore spot on his body. Good, now the other five-hundred could have a new friend.

"Fine, I'll tell you." Sasuke let his arm fall to his side, along with his head that turned away shyly. The ghost of red over his cheeks, and a question over his lips: "Naruto, are you an angel? Y-you seem to emit light, s-so I just-"

For once, Naruto had no words. Instead, he settled on taking Sasuke's lips as his own. It wasn't the answer the Uchiha would be looking for, but for both, it was just as good.

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Kibby: I feel very unloved, kind of. I've only one review...  
Naruto: Aw, there are other chances! You've ninety-seven more to go.  
Kibby: Ninety-two. I've already written some...  
Sasuke: But, you've only one review. I'd sooner bet my seme-ness over that you get ten reviews.  
Kibby: Fine. I bet on that! If I get ten reviews, I'll do something -to be determined- horrendous to Sasuke.  
Sasuke: I- I WASN'T SERIOUS!


	4. Chapter 4: Dark

4. Dark

It was a lonely night, and it was definitely heavy with the birth child of angst, lies, and a past he thought he had pushed into the back of his mind. One thing was painfully certain: everything came back to him in the darkness.

The boy gripped desperately the black fabric covering his defined chest, fisting the cloth until his knuckles turned white. Then, taking a shaky breath through thin lips half-parted, he slid down the cold wall. He could feel the tinge of ice through the fabric of his shirt. His head thrown back, glaring up at the ceiling in anguish. His body was being consumed by the white fire of the lies that surround him. His broken heart beat hard in his empty chest cavity, whereas the thoughts in his head pounded tenfold more so than that.  
It was hard for him to breath, let alone catch up to his racing thoughts.

"God damn it!" The anguished cry tumbled from pursed lips, slamming his head back against the wall. Everything was just so infuriating, terrible and painful right now. Even if he knew things would physically hurt when he had calmed down, it would be nothing to the pain he felt right now. It would be nothing compared to the pain he felt back then. It definitely couldn't compare to the pain he felt when he had left Konoha, in hopes to break away from all the ties. Hoping to finally find release of the pained memories of his clan's massacre, he left all he had behind for power to lay things to rest.

As long as he had ties to that village however, he'd feel pain unimaginable. One by one, he knocked everybody he held close down. He had broken Sakura's heart, stepped all over it and practically ground the little pieces into the dirt. Although Sasuke had the vague indication that Kakashi already knew the Uchiha's decision, he down straight knew that he had destroyed his trust. He knew he had killed whatever hopes he had for him. And Naruto, -his rival, and more importantly, his best friend- didn't even get the chance to stay good-bye.

He had left Konoha to free himself from pain, but in turn, he doubled it by himself. He could live knowing that Sakura fell deep into depression, losing herself to the rejection. If Kakashi couldn't lay his eyes –or one eye, one mask- on him, he'd be okay with it. But, every day Sasuke treks through life in the shadow of the memory, he is haunted by the possibilities he could've had with his best friend.

In his times with Team Seven, the boy could remember three main things: Kakashi was always late, Sakura was always on his arm, and the blonde was always at Sasuke's throat. Yet, out of the three, Uchiha could honestly say that Naruto could summon the closest thing from the boy that one could call a smile. Hell, Naruto even stole Sasuke's first kiss. Calling what they had 'love' would be a lie, completely and honestly. Sasuke didn't love the Uzumaki boy in the least.  
He could say that he was **attracted** to him.  
Honestly, he could say that he **lusted** after Naruto.  
Sasuke **liked **Naruto, _**a lot.**_

But, it wasn't love. It wasn't right to Sasuke to call it love just yet, since it was painfully one-sided. It was dangerously one-sided so much, that as much as he'd like to remain a part of the Libra's life, -he simply couldn't. Orochimaru would've alleged a full attack on Konoha, and the boy would be held responsible. And if it would keep everybody else in content, Sasuke would push himself further into the darkness that lingered in the damaged threshold of his brain. Even if Naruto could provide him with the littlest bit of light –of hope and happiness- Sasuke would push him away. If Naruto's light was being put at risk of eventually being muted, the cadaverous male would delve further into the lie.

But, it was very **hard.**

A sob wracked the boy's body, resting on cold floor of the bedroom provided to him. It was undersized for a teenage boy as himself, and was threadbare. The walls had no paint, the floor was concrete, and the only thing of furniture in his room was the rock-slab called a bed. A lonely window provided them with only the least of the moonlight, enough so that Sasuke could see his shaky hands held in front of his face. They were all cut up and crusted with dry blood from digging his nails into his skin through sheer agony. He felt so tainted, so ugly and so dirty.

His thoughts were either racing, or his mind fell just completely blank. One thing was certain to him however, in all the mess of lies and deceit.

He felt like a shadow, lost in a surreal world.  
He was could feel nothing, except the feelings of ice.  
It was consuming.  
**It was dark.**

**

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Kibby: **Getting a little angsty out here, isn't it?  
**Sasuke: **You don't really like me, do you? Most of the themes you've pre-written are really dark.  
**Kibby: **It's kind of the theme, don't you think? Anyhow, I'd like to thank my **_two_** reviewers. I'm still kind of saddened by the lack of response, but it works. I'm also really proud of Crazygal66, and hopefully Cuba888 since both are trying to respond to the tag I stuck on them. I'm sorry for the delay, since tests are drilling down on me. I know I'm going to fail math tomorrow, but, it's cool! Writing is comforting, correct? **Please review. They're more crucial to the completion of this challenge than anything.**


	5. Chapter 5: Seeking Solace

5. Seeking Solace

He always knew when Naruto needed consoling. He'd go completely quiet, and seemed to space out more than usual. If at all possible, the boy grew more absent-minded than he was at norm. He'd bite his lips, fingers and cheeks with frustration. He'd curse himself out and apologize for the littlest of things. Tilted downwards, his head would be pulled to the ground. Even his eyes shone a dimmer blue when he was upset.  
He hated when Naruto was saddened, but more than anything the elder boy would like to be the only one to comfort him.

**Sasuke was greedy that way.**

The teenager wanted to be the only person that the Uzumaki cuddled into when he was crying, head buried deep in the crook of his neck and hands fisting his shirt or pounding his chest. More than anything, he'd like to be the only one that received the small 'thank you' smile afterwards the breakdown, along with the gentle kisses of apology and warm hugs of gratitude. Most importantly, he'd like to have Naruto's delicious body for comfort-sex all to himself. That was one of Sasuke's favourite parts, for more than obvious reasons.

So when Naruto came to the training fields at ten, as he did every day of the week now, head dipped down and hands shoved deep in his pockets, -he couldn't help but get a little giddy inside. Indifferent however, he continued to train: he didn't want to seem too forward and scare him off. Sasuke continued to slowly scale the tree in front of him, pushing chakra through his feet to keep him steady. As boring as it was, it was surprisingly good for chakra training. The Uchiha wasn't surprised when Naruto fell into the same pace beside him, up a different tree.

Slowly, minutes passed by and Sasuke had scaled his tree at least five times, pacing back and forth. He even had the time to count and collect the number of things around him, also out of sheer boredom.  
Attached to the three were forty two different branches of many different lengths and sizes, and there was only three or four knotholes that marred the surface of the wood.  
There was one nest amongst the highest branches that had three broken egg-shells in it.  
There were only one-hundred and fifty-six yellowed leaves that still clung to the tree, hoping not to fall to the ground and meet a wintry death.  
Ten minutes had passed since Naruto had joined him.  
Naruto had only scaled his smaller tree **once**.

A moan escaped his lips, glaring downwards at the blonde that lay at the base of the neighbouring tree. His lack of motivation and endurance was surprisingly agitating to Sasuke, for this wasn't the bubbly blonde that Sasuke knew and treasured. The mess of person left on the ground was troubled by something, and curiosity wouldn't stop nagging the Uchiha until he went stark-mad.

"Oi, Urusontonkachi. You're not yourself today."

"You noticed? "

"I've noticed the improvement immediately." The Uchiha drawled, letting a small smirk kiss his lips. Unfortunately, Naruto couldn't find in that the same amusement. He crossed his arms over his chest, and glared at the blue sky as if the world owed him some kind of an apology. His lips pinched together, as if thinking for a proper comeback. Sasuke found it a cute look on him.

"All kidding aside Naruto," The boy fell off of his tree, landing at the base on both feet with a feline's finesse. His smirk twisted into a frown of concern. "What's wrong?"

The blonde sucked in a lungful of air, hoping that his voice wouldn't crack too much when he finally told him. However, his hopes would be answered in a way not exactly desired. Instead of words, a heart-rending sob escaped his lips. A shaky hand fired out, grasping in his own the hand of a startled Uchiha before pulling the elder down on top of him. His arms wrapped tight around the pallid boy's torso, engulfing him in a desperate embrace. The side of his head pressed into the elder's tight neck, drawing in the scent that could make him both raving angry, or reduced to nothing but a puddle of mess.

Having had melted the frown from Sasuke's face, a loving smile replaced. The sharingan user wrapped his steely arms around the distressed of the two, planting a gentle kiss on Naruto's crown. In turn, the blonde let his fingers tug at the fabric of the other's shirt desperately. A whimper slipped past his cracked lips, somewhat bruised from all the biting and nipping.

"I'm s-sorry Sasuke."

Another kiss was placed –not on his head- but on his own lips. A symbol that he didn't mind comforting his 'friend' in time of need, or maybe just so he had an excuse to claim Naruto's perfect mouth as is. It took a second or two, but Sasuke eventually felt the younger responding to the kiss. His lips shyly moved against his. If he could, the Uchiha would make it a vow, that he'd make the time to kiss Naruto's pain and suffering away. That, he could do.

The ivory-toned boy pulled away just so to whisper quietly against Naruto's lips: "I love you Naruto, and I'm going to be here for you okay?"

"-I'm sorry. What was that?"

A gentle chuckle slipped past Sasuke's otherwise serious demeanour, before he closed the already miniscule gap once again. With a fire unknown to anybody but Naruto, the Uchiha claimed his lips again after brushing away the few tears that rolled down Naruto's cheeks. A thought danced through his mind as he was greeted with the blonde's first smile of the day.  
Yes, that was the Naruto he knew and loved.

**

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Kibby: **Has anybody besides me noticed that most of these are Sasuke-centered? Like this is the fourth Sasuke-centered (I think) out of five. I need to start writing either in Naruto's point of view more, or mutually.  
**Sasuke: **I knew you had a thing for me. I just never thought-  
**Kibby: ** Don't finish that sentence. **EVER.**


	6. Chapter 6: Break Away

6. Break Away

The ambience of the large, darkened basement- lit only by the few strobe lights that flickered every so often in accordance to the music- was that of a wild party. The air tinged with the strong bite of alcohol and heated with sweat that rolled down the cheeks of the few on the dance floor. Music pounded out of multiple speakers, shaking the entire house until it threatened collapsing. It was the party of the year, and possibly the party of their lives. Everybody who was anybody was invited, and those unlucky enough not to be invited crashed the house anyways bearing bottles upon bottles of alcohol. The punch bowl that now rest half-empty had been topped up six or ten times with many different types of boozes.

Naruto was at least on his eighth trip back to the punch bowl, and by then had so many drinks in him he could be classified as a Human Molotov Cocktail. He was too sick to dance, but never too tired to party. Sasuke unfortunately, was not. The blonde watched his boyfriend dance on, letting his green-eyed monster nip him in the ass. He didn't care however, for while the Uchiha was away the Uzumaki did play. That is if you considered a few games of quarters and hitting on anything that moves a source of fun and games.

Naruto stumbled across the dance floor, a plastic cup at hand. Eventually, when his footing gave out on him, he fell sprawled over a half empty couch beside an equally hammered friend. Through glossed eyes, he could barely make out the bronzed skin kissed with sweat that almost made him glow under the white strobes. Yet, it was the signature, crimson triangles that adorned his cheeks –or perhaps it was just the alcohol, mutated into a fascinating shape on his face- that gave him away. The mess beside him was the Inuzuka, probably shot down by some chick and left to drink the night away. Obviously, he didn't care much either for the goofy grin along his slender lips matched the one on Naruto's own.

"O-oi, Blondie-no-baka, maybe y... you should stop with the drinks. You're boozed out of your mind."

"You are bluffing 'cuz I'm n-not drunk!"

"Your cup –thank God- is empty, and if not, it'd have been all over your lap. You're holding it downside-up."

Naruto blurted in with a drunken giggle, his free hand cupped delicately over his mouth: "Y-you mean, upside-down!?"

"You k-know what I mean!" Kiba nodded, letting his head jiggle about as would a bobble head. It already felt heavy from all the alcohol. Stalling to hold Naruto's gaze for a while –which in itself was a wonder seeing how pissed he was-, only after letting his eyes catch on the cup gripped precariously in his hand. With a flick of his wrist he caught the cup, demanding with his eyes that he put the offending red plastic away. Smiling, he deposited the glass beside him into a tank of very confused tropical fish. His feral eyes lit up with pride: good job Kiba, he had successfully discarded the glass. "Y-you don't need t... that anymore! We're g-going to play a drinking games."

"Quarters!? I'm going t-to fail! I can't s-see straight no more, let alone throw!"

"N-no! Shots!"

"You has a gun!? No Kiba no! Don't! I'm too y-young t...to live!"

"N... never have you ever, stupid!"

"Never have **I** ever?"

"Yeah, you know what I mean!" He nodded, letting his tongue slip out of his dried lips. Pouring drinks out into a conveniently set up pair of shot glasses, and a bottle of tequila he had snuck into the party. Hopefully, it was worm free. We didn't need another episode of _that_ again all over again. Ah, the memories. Kiba was trying to taking a drink at some frat party, shrieking like a girl and then passing out after spitting out the worm that came with his drink. That indeed proved to be an interesting night.  
Shaking that aside, he picked up his head: "Anyhow, you go first, okay?"

Naruto nods, taking one of the eight shot glasses in his shaking hand. He slurred out: "O-okay. Never have I... I ever... –kissed an animal."

And of course, Kiba took a drink. "That i-isn't f...fair. You kiss the C-cockatoo!"

"P-point." Naruto downed the shot, wincing at the burn that came after. He looked expectantly at the Inuzuka.

"N-never had I e-ever, caught s-somebody singing b-badly i-in the shower."

The blonde pulled the glass to his lips, but hesitated. With his sapphire eyes of questions, he looked confused at the elder: "D-does singing i-into a brush count?"

"W-who?" The boy could barely hold back the drunken laughter. "I h-have to hear about this."

"W-well, it all started on a Monday afternoon, I h-had gone to a mission the day p-prior and I was going h-home to Sasuke."

* * *

_The blonde sighed weakly, doorknob to his apartment gripped in his hand. He shook his head, letting the water clinging to strands of hair fly free as a dog would. It was pouring cats and dogs outside, and every little bit of Naruto was soaked. He couldn't wait for a hot shower, or a warm bath accompanied with a massage by the Uchiha. Excitedly, he swung the door open about to say something obscene and over-rated like "Honey, I'm home!" but he was quickly shut up._

_"Grew up in a small town,  
And when the rain would fall down,  
I'd just stare out my window."_

_Now, what on earth was that? A low bellow, but a mellow voice resonated through their tiny apartment. It tickled Naruto's curiosity, so forth sending him to investigate. The sound dragged him through the labyrinth of his home, towards the joint bedroom both he and his lover shared. As quietly as he could, he slid the door open._

_"Trying hard to reach out  
But when I'd try to speak out  
Felt like no one could hear me_

_Wanted to belong here  
But something felt so wrong here  
So I pray  
I could breakaway."_

_As much as the Uzumaki would like not to hear him, he could not only hear but see the elder prance around. The cadaverous male sitting by the window, looking out at the cold afternoon, brush clutched in his hand. The back of his hair down, not yet perked up. He liked wearing it down when it was just him and Naruto, or when he was alone. The brush in the boy's grasp, doubled as a microphone. A giggle escaped his lips, making Sasuke stop cold._

**_"I'm home Sasuke."_**

* * *

Kiba sweatdropped, looking as the Uchiha loomed behind Naruto murderous intent on his face. Then, his eyes flickered back down to the blonde: "Yup! I'd take a drink."

**

* * *

Kibby: **Urm... I know I kind of shot the gun. I told you I'd ruin Sasuke's Seme-ness in ten reviews, I dealt for half. Thank you for the reviews! I appreciate.  
**Naruto: **I... I don't drink! I'm under-age!  
**Kibby: **No, you're older in this one.  
**Sasuke: Five. Seconds. To. Run. D**


	7. Chapter 7: Heaven

7. Heaven

I'd killed many a time before.  
It goes against the sixth commandment: 'Thou shalt not kill."  
I had broken that commandment one too many times, and I was making it pretty clear I wasn't religious. Sure, I believed in a God, or whatever heavenly force out there, -but I had sinned so much that I don't think I'm allowed to be religious anymore. I practically killed it, and then resurrected it, just to bury it alive and piss on its grave. That isn't any exaggeration either, -rather, it is somewhat an understatement. In fact, I think I've done that to some poor sap long ago. I enjoyed his muffled screams, his agony as I walked away from his premature resting place.

The nagging thoughts arose in the back of my mind, 'I had killed somebody.', 'I had taken another person's life. I had taken away a mother, a father, a daughter or son.' These however were forced away by the adrenalin and blood-lust of the kill. I was slowly becoming my sadistic brother, walking in the same footsteps he took when he massacred the Uchiha clan: our family, that he apparently cared nothing about. And for people like my brother, there could -there should- only be an after-life of darkness to look forward to.

Maybe with luck, they'd be reincarnated as a cock roach, or a urinal puck in another life. Or, if you believed in heaven and hell, they'd be tossed into the fiery pit and have the key thrown away. I wasn't sure of what would happen after one died, but I knew this: **I sure as hell, wasn't going to heaven.**

So, on the topic of Catholism, yet another commandment I had broken was: 'Thou shall not commit adultery.'  
Although, the definition of adultery is a little fuzzy to me, -to me it meant sex. I had done a lot of that. I've had girls and boys alike, but only one really mattered to me. It was that sweet piece of ass I had back home, waiting for me: **Naruto Uzumaki.**  
It was for him that I killed just to bring home the cash to by the little baubles he loves so much. The way his eyes sparkle when I surprise him with a trinket. I loved the look on him, and I loved everything about him. When he was happy, I was absolutely ecstatic. When he'd hide in our bedroom and cry: I'd go on to kill all the bastards that looked at him funny, or every person that made him cry or even made his brow wrinkle with concern. I'd kill Itachi. I'd kill Orochimaru. I'd kill the entire Akatsuki if he so commanded. If he was angry, I was absolutely murderous or I was there for him to take it out on. And if my boy was horny, -let's just say I was a very happy Sasuke.

I'd broken two holy commandments, and I've probably broken a lot more all for my blond. I'd commit any sin at his very command. **After all,** **I was going to hell for Naruto Uzumaki, -that bastard.**

But, for Naruto, I don't think I'd mind.

If it was for a few kisses at bedtime, his frail but tight body nestled tight against mine for the night. If it were for all those nights where I'd stay up, because I was too afraid that I'd wake up and he wouldn't be there in bed with me. Staying up in fear that I'd miss out on a moment spent with him. If it was for a smile before I left for a mission, a kiss on the cheek when I left, and a warm and longing make-out session when I got back. If it was for all the fighting and bickering, coupled by the glorious make-up sex that came after. If it was for the marvelous strip teases, peeling layer after layer of clothing off of a body -tight muscles, round ass and evenly bronzed skin- to simply die for. If it was for my sexy little kitsune, I think I wouldn't mind.

I wouldn't mind walking through the depths of hell, for the rest of my eternity. I already had a little taste of my heaven, and he was called Naruto Uzumaki.

* * *

**Kibby: **My eyes, they burn...  
**Naruto: **Go to bed then! You've been up for the last fifty two hours! That's unhealthy.  
**Kibby: **Gaara can do it, so-  
**Sasuke: **Gaara, Naruto and I are fictional characters. We can do anything. You're just the nerd at her computer at five in the fucking morning.  
**Kibby: **True. I'm exhausted.  
**Sasuke: **I'd say. You didn't even fight back that time!


	8. Chapter 8: Innocence

8. Innocence

"Sasuke? Do you know exactly which bag they had put all of my candy in? I wasn't paying attention at the check out."

I refused to acknowledge his question, for I was both too angry that I had to blow my newest pay-check on food and too pre-occupied on unloading the groceries. I edged the door to our apartment open, deciding to currently ignore that somebody tagged 'Leave Demon-Fox' in bold, red letters on it. Another thing I'd have to spend my weekend home doing: repainting. I thought days off were supposed to be days off, -not spend my hours working off my ass to fix everything that had been destroyed week prior. I know I may sound bitter, but I think I have near every right to be.

The pantry left bare with only a satisfied husband sitting amongst empty boxes, claiming it was the rats that magically snuck into our home and left without trace. He even had the gall to sprinkle rat traps around our house, which I hadn't noticed until my foot got stuck in one. The television broken with a kunai through the glass screen due to a 'rogue ninja' –who I presume is blonde, blue-eyed and goes by the surname Uzumaki, correction: Uchiha- who broke into the house when Naruto was sleeping. And now, a tagger was using our front door for target practice. Honestly, what the hell happened to paper!?

I sighed, placing the bags clutched carefully in my arms on the island countertop. Then, I began to restock everything in what I had hoped would be peace and quiet. Of course, my hopes would go unanswered as the blonde bottomless-pit piped up: "Sasuke? Can I have the candy?"  
I opened my mouth to shoot back an answer, but he beat me to it.  
"Ah, never mind." He called back, after emerging from a brown paper bag. In his hand, he had a blue lollipop. It was his favourite flavour: blue raspberry since they didn't invent ramen flavoured candy just yet. I swear, that boy could be so idiotic at times. I could hear him clumsily fumbling with the wrapper, probably discarding it to the floor since garbage-can, rubbish-bin, or anything along the lines didn't register in his vocabulary.

"You're going to get diabetes, and I'm going to laugh." I said cruelly, continuing to put things away. I had two things in my hands, -a can of soup, and a bag of potatoes- unsure what went where. Did we refrigerate the root vegetables and soups, or just shove them in the pantry? My brow furrowed as I thought. Everything in our apartment had to be just so, or I'd be in malcontent for the next week or so. Or I'd be angry at least until Naruto had made things up to me somehow, -preferably in our usual way.

"You're cruel Sasuke." Naruto's voice reached my ears, making me turn around. My lips parted to initially ask a question, but pinched back together to prevent a strained squeak. I might've handled it near stress-free if he somehow managed to strip down to the nude, or if sexy-no-jutsu Naruto stood in front of me, -but no, he had to do it. He had to do the ONE thing that got me running.

Naruto stood there, in all his pride: blue lollipop hanging from his moist lips. The stick clenched in his fist, the ball pressed against his lower lip, full and tinted blue. A pink tongue ran over the ball of it, slithering a tight circle over the candy before he popped it into his mouth. It was my best bet that the little lollipop would be in for the ride of its life: tenderly being sucked on, riding on the sides of his cheeks, and caressed by the endowment of Naruto's heated mouth and tongue.

I couldn't believe it. I was jealous of a hard candy.

Upon noticing that I had dropped both can, and bag of potatoes, and also that my gaze was fixated on him, -Naruto looked up. He gently pulled the candy from his mouth, producing a satisfying pop when it finally hit the air. His bright blue eyes met mine, and they were leaking so much innocence and sweetness I swore I got a cavity. I hardly noticed however, since my gaze was fixated on the small trail of saliva connecting full lips to candy. How I had wished that it was me that he had between parted lips: my tongue, my-

My flow of thought was abruptly discontinued by his voice. "What? What is it?"

"I, uh..." I bent over, quickly headed back to work putting the groceries away, rosy-cheeked and riled up. My fingers stumbled as I clumsily threw open a cupboard, then stumbled back with a near miss to my pretty face. My angered thoughts and upset feelings had mysteriously flown out the window. A small groan, voice shaky and weaker than I had anticipated escaped my lips: "Never mind Naruto, just, never mind."

* * *

**Kibby: **Wow, another Sasuke's point of view. Let me re-cap. Introduction was Naruto-focused. Love was Sasuke's point of view. Third was...  
**Naruto: **I think third was light.  
**Sasuke: **Again, my point of view until half-way. Then it switched to Naruto.  
**Kibby: **Moving on, Dark was Sasuke based as well.  
**Sasuke: **I'm beginning to see a pattern. Five was Seeking Solace which was my point of view as well.  
**Naruto: **The sixth -Break Away- was mine.  
**Kibby: **Then Heaven and Innocence are both Sasuke. So, that totals to... -five and a half. Out of eight.  
**Sasuke: **It's so official, you love me.


	9. Chapter 9: Drive

9. Drive

Hushed was the city as they passed by, the Uchiha driving and Naruto in the passenger seat brainlessly staring out of the window. The stars were out but were covered by the greyed clouds or smog. As they passed, the blond noticed that the streetlights were near hypnotic as they blurred into a continuous line of thick yellow and white across the sky. It made the boy's eyes droop shut, being lulled to sleep through hypnosis and/or sheer boredom. Even the gentle, relaxing music pouring from the car radio didn't help his situation much either. However Sasuke continued to drive without falling asleep was lost to him.

Flickering over to observe, the blond shamelessly trailed over Sasuke's body. He drank in the divine image before him with large, greedy gulps. A crest of elegant, black hair fell delicately over the curve of his face. He had skin, ivory in color, perfect in tone and amazing to the touch. He loved the feel of it underneath his fingertips, loved how his muscles contracted at his feel. Black clothing clung tight to his body, only making more noticeable what Naruto hadn't been getting in the longest while. It drove him mad with raw lust, and feral hunger. The Uchiha's obsidian eyes concentrated on the road ahead, thoughts fixated on keeping both boys alive. That steely gaze if focused hard enough could make blood run cold, and could make other things hard as well.

A sigh escaped his lips, thinking about all the fun he was missing out on. It wasn't as if Sasuke was avoiding him, but he did know that they definitely weren't as close as he would anymore. It had been so for the last few weeks now. The relationship lacked the lustre as it had when they were younger and madly in love. It was a cycle of eat, fuck, watch a dirty movie, have sex on the couch halfway through that, and then return to the bedroom once, and two times over again in the shower.

Now, Naruto couldn't remember the last time he'd been laid. Hell, the most interesting they've done together as a couple was take this car ride in the middle of the night. Sasuke just lacked the drive and muster to really perform for him. Not in that way, no! He was always ready for action. It was just that whenever the blond was sure that had the Uchiha in his clutches, just when Naruto was about to pounce, the elder would push him away. Falling to the bed to sit and stare at the bedroom walls, Sasuke would think. And whenever Sasuke thought, it usually ended up disastrous to some party. For the longest time, and still now, Naruto is sure that the sallow Sasuke was readying himself to put an end to long, four years of dating.

"Naruto, can I ask you to please stop staring at me? It is as if you're trying to devour me with your eyes, and I can't really say I take kind to it."

"Yes, you may."

"Then stop staring at me, you're creeping me out." Sasuke commented, letting his eyes flicker over to the passenger. His own obsidian eyes met those of very bored cobalt. It let a knowing smirk ghost over his lips. Naruto didn't like it. It seemed cruel, and as if Sasuke was holding a secret from him. Inside, something told him that he'd put to good use the tissues he stuck in his coat pocket that he had stuck there in premeditation. He had his cell phone in case he had to find his way to a hotel, since obviously he wouldn't be welcomed home.

"Sasuke, why are we going out here to the country side anyways? It is a rather odd request, on a weekday as well." The question clumsily slipped from pursed lips, bit together with anticipation. Around them was the air heavy with the silence and of unspoken questions.

"I wanted to go for a drive."

"Couldn't we have just stayed at home? And-"

"And I wanted to talk to you, for this has been continuing way too long. We really need to discuss matters." The Uchiha let the simple sentence drawl from his throat. It was that very sentence that could crush Naruto's whole world, and that is what it did. _A drive..._ how shrewd of the Uchiha, but never less expected. Somewhere in the back of the Kitsune's brain did he see this coming, but never in such an intelligible way as such.

The younger turned his gaze back out the window to the scenery about them, eyes flickering over the sloping hills gradually fading into horizon. All of them lit with the pale, ice-blue moonlight that highlighted the earth's surface in the night. The road ahead of them was gradually meandering aside, dissipating into nothingness but gravel and loose soil. And that means they would stop soon, left alone outside of the city. Yes indeed, Naruto had a long way to walk if Sasuke had dumped him here alone.

As foretold, the Uchiha slipped the car to park merely looking out at the moon. It was full and in its prime, an orb of luminescence amongst a backdrop of the heavens. It was as if each and every star could be counted, and cupped in the palm of your hand. Both boys noticed it, and knew it well. It couldn't have been a better night to do this, a romantic night set up for heart break. It made Naruto's head spin, and his stomach turn. He near right jumped out of his skin as Sasuke gripped his hand, eyes fixated out of the front windshield.

His breath came out after a baited breath: "Naruto, we have to talk. Badly."

"I thought as much." Gulping back dryness from anticipation and deep regret, he found that all the water had relocated out from his throat and into his eyes. It took all of the strength he could still muster to whisper, without his voice cracking. "You're breaking up with me, aren't you?"

"No, I'm not." With his hand gripped tighter, the blonde could barely feel the ring slipped over his skin. His eyes widened. Sasuke smirked gently, although it was weak and uneasy. "Naruto Uzumaki, will you marry me?"

* * *

**Kibby:** Aw, this one was actually kind of cute. I want to take the time to thank my six reviewers, for my nine chapters. I'm behind three. T^T  
**Sasuke: **Shows you that your writing is crap.  
**Kibby:** You can't talk. You're still sore about Chapter Six.  
**Sasuke: **The ugliest number in the world.  
**Kibby: **That's my favorite number though! Guys, please review. They help me a lot and I write faster.


	10. Chapter 10: Breath Again

10. Breath Again

Hanging upside down from a park bench, aside simply waiting until the blood rushed to his brain and killed the few cells he had left, Naruto found himself bored. Not the kind of bored where you need to go find something to do before you went nuts bored however. It was the 'Ah, crap. Too late for that, I think I've lost my sanity to the silence and I don't want to get up and look', kind of bored. Training held no appeal to him today, and the mere sight of ramen made him feel sick to his stomach: so it was a rare day indeed.

He could go bug Kakashi, but he was probably reading that little book somewhere. Naruto found that a bad time to interrupt, just in case he'd see something he'd never want to see. Every time the man would pull out the book, he could briefly catch his teacher pulling apart the pages that had been stuck together. Naruto prayed it was glue, or something like juice or water her had spilt on it.  
Already, he had tried hanging out with Sakura. He'd been shot down the usual way: a punch to the face so hard he usually ended up **_almost _**breaking his nose. He was beginning to feel she had issues with him being around, yet he couldn't quite put his finger on it.  
And hanging out with the Uchiha? The emo of Team Seven, who'd rather he just go die in a hole somewhere and be done with him? Who was convinced that Naruto was the absolute bane of his very exsistence? There was a fat chance of that ever happening. The blonde would prefer watching Choji doing the Baywatch thing, to _that_.

So instead, Naruto decided to hang upside down until his whiskered cheeks flustered red and his face felt strikingly heavy. His eyes fluttered up to the firmament, studying the clouds floating away delicately. Oddly, he began to understand why the Nara boy would waste hours on end staring heavenwards. They were peaceful, and quiet, and-

"You shouldn't be here, retard. You're cruelly depriving some village of his idiot, and you're on my favorite bench. I knew you were stupid, just never inconsiderate." A cold and cruel voice resonated from behind the blonde, casting a lingering shadow over his body. Naruto couldn't really complain about it, -he sure as hell wasn't working on his tan since much more and he'd be dirt colored- and it blocked the sun and kept it from his sky-blue eyes.

"Hah, shoot. I think I forgot my garlic at home, Vampire." The boy kept his gaze up to the sky, light blue still with the bright sun. He smirked at his shameless crack against the boy's choice to remain hidden in his compound during days. Of course, he couldn't let himself give up the rare chance to toy with the other: "Why are you out Sasuke? The sun is still out. Don't you have somewhere to be? -A morgue to sit in, perhaps?"

"Hah, you're absolutely hilarious Naruto. Only, I fail to grasp the humor." Sasuke fell beside the blonde on the bench, obsidian eyes rolling behind lidded eyes. This made Naruto look up, just to meet the elder looking intently at him. A question grazed over his thin and dry, cracked lips: "What are you doing?"

"I'm being bored to tears, and your presence isn't exactly helping me. Your face is pissing me off. What are you doing?"

The elder chided, already decided to not have answered the other's question nor respond to the insults. He looked into deep eyes of blue, his own taking on a twinkle of challenge. "Bored, are you? How unfortunate for you. Luckily for you: I know how to kill boredom easily and I'll help you if you wish."

Now, this definitely wasn't a normal offer from the Uchiha. But, normal meant that Naruto wouldn't be this bored and would normally be ripping off Sasuke's head –or trying at least. Aside that, normal was over-rated.  
It made the Uzumaki boy recall a confusing quote he had overheard from one of the villagers one day, _'They say being different is normal, but if everybody is different, doesn't that make things normal? So it's normal to be different, but different to be normal. Run by me what normal means again?'_  
Slowly, Naruto nodded his head, stumbling over his words in disbelief after he shook the thought away: "Y-you'll help? Alright, I'll accept I suppose. I dislike being so bored."

The blond let his eyes flutter shut, looking at the red at the back of his thin eyelids. Those however flew open when he felt a body, pressed against his and warm lips tickling the shell his ear. He tried to will his hands to reach up and push the offending boy away, but he found them pinned tight between their chests. Squirming under his weight trying to pry himself free, Naruto indeed found he no felt longer bored, but rather shocked. Adding to that shock was that Naruto found his cheeks tinged pink, and heated to the touch. In fact, he found himself biting back an explicit mewl from the close proximity. An exasperated yell escaped his lips: "S-Sasuke! What the hell are you doing? I-"

A sadistic smile crossed over the boy's lips, fluctuating when he leaned into the younger under his form. He leaned in so much so, his lips practically brushed the other's ear. More than definitely, Naruto could feel the heat radiating on his skin from the Uchiha's breath. A heated whisper escaped Sasuke: "I'm giving you something to do so you're not bored anymore. Really, you should be thanking me instead of swearing at me. It's not nice, now is it?"

With that, he pulled his weight off of Naruto's now stilled frame and took his leave. He left the blonde nothing more than paralyzed. Helplessly he lay there, simply watching his attacker disappear out of his line of vision. It took Sasuke a good few minutes before he finally disappeared, and Naruto let out an explosive breath. One, he didn't know that he was holding. Clutching at his chest, Naruto knew that this would only complicate things between them even more. Yet, it was alright for the meantime, since Naruto had finally learned how to breathe again.

* * *

**Kibby: **Well, this is my weak attempt at being funny. Please humor me -aha! I'm punny, aren't I?- if I failed at making you laugh, since I doubt I did. Thank you for all the lovely reviews, and I'm rather proud with the outcomes. I'd be prouder if I got a few more though!  
**Naruto: **Aw, don't think that way. You've ninety more to go, plus the other five that your friends tagged you with.  
**Sasuke: **So, that's at least **five hundred and ninety** more. Get cracking!  
**Kibby:** I feel very unloved by my own thoughts... doesn't that seem only a little raving mad?


	11. Chapter 11: Memory

11. Memory

**I knew that today would be a bad day.**  
My first indicator was that it was the morning after I beat Sasuke's head in for leaving us here at Konoha, and the hour after I brought him to hospital. The air smelt of blood, or maybe it was just the lingering scent still stuck on me. My clothes –originally a black and orange outfit was caked in a deep burgundy- coated in the blood that kept him alive. It was the aftermath of the bloody battle in the middle of nowhere. After all these years, we finally learned which was stronger: my rasengan won over that chidori.

In a blinding fight where fists clashed and attacks were narrowly missed, the most damaging attack filled our battle field with colors of brilliance unknown. Rich aqua-blue and silver of the famed chidori, and the burning orange-red of the rasengan fused with the power of the Demon Fox. The raw passion of our battle made the air thick about us. The surge of our confessions of hatred, and jealousy fuelled the heat of our battle. And even after the smoke cleared, with Sasuke's last breath he whispered to me his last secret: our harboured feelings of love. I didn't even get to respond to it either before his eyes slid shut.  
Now, all the colours had disappeared out of the room: leaving the area dull-gray walls, and a dingy floor dusted over with soot and blood. Red, grey and the bluish tile weren't exactly the most appealing colours to me.

My second indicator was the doctor who entered, head dipped down and eyes cast to the cool, blue-grey tile under our feet. He was an older man, the top of his black hair caked with sweat from trying to revive my comrade. It was thinning. His vein-infested hands gripped the clipboard in his hands as if he had seen Death himself. Even his bottle green eyes carried the same look in them.  
That was a thought that made me want to hurl inside, churning my insides around violently. I even caught myself gripping onto the seats for dear life myself.  
It took me a while to calm my emotions, looking up wearily to meet his gaze: "He's going to be okay, right? Sasuke isn't dead, is he?"

The doctor merely opened his mouth, but by the _**no**_forming over his dry and cracked lips, I realized that this conversation was something I didn't want to be in. Tuning out, I let my attention slip into the corners of my brain where my cognitive area was. Moments of our childhood passed through my head, and over my seventeen years of turmoil there had been a lot of memories made. Even as an adult –full grown- it was all too much for me. I could feel the undersized hiccups of my sobs rippling up through my body.

**There was so much that had been left unsaid.  
**Why did that idiot leave Konoha, making us look for him and such? That answer dug into my brain with a fury I didn't know possible. It burned at the back of my throat, collecting amongst the bawls hidden back. I needed at least that much from him. I wanted to know why he chose the snake sannin, out of all people who could've helped. I wanted to know why he took so long before remerging to us. Yet out of all I wanted to know, I need to know why he left us, **-why he left me?**

"Damn it." I cussed weakly, tugging desperately at tufts of blonde still attached to my scalp. In the mess of the final battle –which I had carried on a little too long, and fought a little too hard- I somehow managed to lose or burn of my hair. It didn't matter to me. Hair would eventually grow back, but I lost Sasuke to my actions forever.

"-he's just waking up, and I think you could see him now."

**Or perhaps not: maybe I hadn't lost him after all.  
**Suppressing the urge to leap up and trap the innocent doctor in a wild kiss of thanks, I merely shook his hand before running out of the waiting room. I had to wipe a few tears that leaked down my face without my knowing. Doing so discretely, I swivelled right to the hallway where my Uchiha waited for me. My heart pounded, counting down the doors as I passed like a countdown.

'Four.' I could feel the rush of adrenalin and the surge of joy dance through my veins, willing my battered body to propel down abandoned hall. I found it amazing I could still move, let alone at these speeds without the Kyuubi's aid.  
'Three.' Turning a corner clumsily, I skidded along the tile a bit. I narrowly escaped a collision course with one of the dirty-gray walls, painfully adorned with a boring poster about some kind of meeting.  
'Two.' The door fell into view, stopping in front of me abruptly. The golden handle gripped tightly in my hand, as I flung it wide open. I was only half-aware of the frazzled grin over my cheeks. My lips parted slightly to mutter the last number on my little countdown, but I surprisingly was beat to it.

My eyes flickered over to the bed, -the surface of it papered for some God knows reason- where Sasuke sat up propped against pillows of cardboard. The room seemed dull-white about him, yet even in his cadaverous state he seemed to radiate of brilliant color. On his body was a pale, pastel-blue gown that was poorly tied to his broken frame. He didn't seem to mind, completely okay with the body ridden with stitches that he possessed. His hands folded politely over his lap as he looked over to me, in a state of disarray. He was the one in the hospital bed and yet, he looked even more relaxed than I. A gentle but placid grin touched his cut up lips: "One."

I subconsciously reached up to brush the tears of relief coursing down my whiskered cheeks. My perked face showed nothing but overwhelmed joy and relief. Even my voice cracked a little,, but I heeded no notice to it: "Sasuke, I hate you..."

"I love you too Naruto."

* * *

**Sasuke:** You have issues with me don't you? I'm either really angsty, really cocky or just really beat up.  
**Kibby: **Heaven forbid! I kept you alive this time! That must mean I have some purpose with you.  
**Sasuke: **Yeah, **humiliation.  
Naruto: **Yay! My point of view! Finally!  
**Kibby: **Thank you all for the lovely reviews my dears, but I'm trying to keep up my review count either with or over my chapter count. We're two off! Come on, it isn't going to take too much work, would it? Did you like it?


	12. Chapter 12: Insanity

12. Insanity.  
**Warning: This one is considered a little dirtier then my previous one-shots. Just letting you guys know.**

The smile stretched over Sasuke's lips was one of sadism, like a cat whom had just caught his mouse and planned to toy with it until it no longer did move. He stretched his finger-like talons outwards, clawing down his bronzed lover's tight torso. That twisted smile did grow as he watched Naruto's writhing form under him, his tanned face contorting with agony but glowing from pleasure. Sex and pain, producing the beautiful love child called lust.

Their hips moved in unison, Naruto moving back to meet the other's thrusts. A low 'Oh God, fuck me harder' played over the elongated moan that fell from lips left open. The elder caught those lips in a tight hold with his own, kissing him harder as his body heated up. The boy felt him grasp his ebony hair, tugging him in harder and pulling his body in tighter. He smirked, complying with the near silent request and picking up in pace. His heart strings tugged with lust and need, yet never love.

Neither boy would ever know the true, warm feeling called love: Sasuke, having it taken away from him by the cruelty of his elder brother at young age, and Naruto never learning it at all. Never would either of them be truly innocent either. Sasuke's eyes were tainted when he watched family member upon family member succumb to the evil hands of Itachi, -the one person he looked up to the most. He was the first person who he trusted enough to want to be like that person. Naruto was robbed of both innocence and his father from his demon within: the Kyuubi. The villagers hated him for the damage he didn't even cause, for reasons that remained unknown to him until now.

They may not have love nor may they have ever known it, but to them, this is all what they needed.

Sasuke needed the sexual release, and he didn't need the commitment that came after words. That's why he went searching for it in Naruto, for he knew his other female option –Sakura- would expect some kind of follow up. Naruto needed not a follow up and definitely didn't need the relentless pleading to get it either, so he was his first pick. But gradually with time, Sasuke found himself running back to him. Besides: male or female, -release was release.

Also, the way Naruto would arch into him, pressing his heated body against his own drove him wild. The screams and moans pulled forth from the smaller male fed his burning ego, and drew out his own inner demon. When he was in bed with Naruto, the competition heated up and normally, Sasuke turned up dominant. The craving for that power was all that the boy needed to keep coming back.

Besides that, the Uchiha had always known that the two were falling into something deeper than love. Even in Academy he would catch his eyes flickering over to the blonde idiot, usually at the front being lectured. The Libra turned his head, and upon meeting the elder's gaze, took on a new look. Content met his cyan eyes, a grin over his face as he acknowledged the Uchiha's gaze. Of course, he'd be smacked by Iruka who wanted his full and undivided attention. The ghost of a smile would kiss his lips, shaking his head with mild amusement. He knew he didn't love the blond, yet fate pulled Uchiha to Uzumaki. They had clicked from that moment.

Naruto needed the human companionship. Ever since birth, the boy had grown up isolated from the rest of humanity. Before Sasuke, he couldn't remember the last time somebody has hugged him or kissed him. Hell, he couldn't remember the last smile he had received from none other than Sasuke. So, when the Uchiha boy awkwardly approached him –half smile on his face, eyes sparkling with mild excitement, breath baited with anticipation- and asked him to have sex with him, he couldn't exactly say no.

For the last few months, he had felt the magnetic force between them, mysteriously drawn to the older boy. He'd always find himself checking the other out, relishing the look of his body and clothes. He wanted every touch and brush of skin to last a little longer than a life time. In fact, every moment that Sakura caught his attention Naruto had grown strikingly jealous. So, he was a little more than elated when offered the question to an otherwise awkward topic.

And besides, the competition that sparked between them made the sex all that much better. Sasuke's touch was hard, and domineering, -but it wasn't as if it was as cold as the stares he got from his fellow villagers. He could feel the need behind every one of Sasuke's actions. He could feel the burning lust behind every touch, every kiss and every caress. If Sasuke was using him for his body, let it be so: Naruto didn't care. He could only cross his fingers and pray that it wasn't so.

What they had –to them- was more special than the feeling called love. They had rivalry, jealousy, want, need, lust, hatred, -they had all of that, in a Molotov cocktail we could call –more or less- insanity.

But, what we called **insanity**, -they could call _love._

_

* * *

_**Naruto:** Wow, it's getting a little racy out tonight, isn't it?  
**Sasuke: **I'll say. But, you can't exactly say you mind, can you?  
**Naruto: **Mm, I'll say. I just want-  
**Kibby:** Guys, we're rated T for Teen. You can't say much more maturity, otherwise I'm going to have to change the rating.  
**Sasuke: **I think you already crossed that line a little, don't you?  
**Naruto:** Yes, just a little bit Kibs.


	13. Chapter 13: Misfortune

13. Misfortune

**Misfortune** could be defined as a **terrible happening, terrible occurrences in sequence** or **simply bad luck.** But to be _misfortunate_ means to _**produce** misfortune_, which was something that Naruto didn't really think that he was. The blond had always thought that he was the one that was misfortunate to be cursed with the dreaded nine-tailed fox. It was bad luck that he'd be the unfortunate soul that the villagers avoided, and the children mocked and ridiculed. It was even worse luck that his parents had been killed by it as , it wasn't he who decided that the demon would attack the village, was it?It wasn't his fault that he was chosen when he was a baby, is it?Henceforth, he had decided it impossible for him to be misfortunate since he didn't do anything to cause the event. In fact, he doubted he was a day old when the incident had happened.

To him, misfortunate was an ugly word. It was like it was trying to tack the blame for something out of reason onto a person. For some things you could fault others on, like if somebody purposely tripped somebody and that person coincidentally crashed face first into a fist that just happened to be there. That could be considered misfortunate. Yet if your house burned down because lightening decided to use it as target practice: that was another story. Naruto could say that was either just really bad luck, or misfortunate if somehow you upset a God.

So when he accidently stumbled across two of Sasuke's fan girls one day on the Konoha streets, he wasn't trying to be inconsiderate to them. Yet, it had ended badly for the poor blonde. He remembered the day well.

* * *

The chatter reached the Kitsune's ears as nothing but mindless blabber. The only few things that registered amongst the scrambled thoughts of which ramen he was going to get were: Uchiha, Sasuke, Misfortunate, and Massacre. Now, not saying that he was really interested in what either girl was saying, but, -he did stop in his tracks and shimmy behind a fence of some old shed to overhear them a little better. His back hit the wooden fence with a feint tap. Naruto bit his lips in fear that they heard him.

Yet, they kept talking. A silent sigh of relief danced over his lips, staring forward at the shed while he continued to eavesdrop. He couldn't help but note how old the shack was: the grey paint on the siding was cracking and peeling off. Then, he turned his thoughts out so he could properly identify the two bodies on the other end of the fence. Upon further inspection, he founded that it was both Sakura and Ino that were gossiping.

"Did you hear?" The pink-haired kunoichi commented, her voice dampened to a harsh whisper. "Apparently somebody in the Hokage Tower found some old documents about Sasuke's family."

"Really?! Was it anything about the killer?"

Now, Naruto had to suppress a weakened chortle. How _**dare**_ they call themselves fan girls if they didn't even know that? The blonde even knew that and he wasn't even all that interested in the Uchiha, kind of. True, he'd be checking the Uchiha out for a little while now and he also knew that when he'd take the time to do so, he'd catch Sasuke doing the same. It brought a smile to his face.

"No, unfortunately not, -but poor Sasuke! He is so _misfortunate_."

That smile was wiped clean.  
The look was replaced with that of disgust at the mere mention of both misfortunate and Sasuke in the same sentence. Well, if they had used the words in a different manner like, _'Sasuke likes seeing Naruto fall on his face when they brawl, but he can't since Naruto is too awesome. He is misfortunate.'_ –It would've been completely okay! But no, they had to use it on the topic of the massacre. It made him cringe inside.

The massacre was something that nobody could blame on anybody other than Sasuke's elder brother. It was only Itachi that was the misfortunate one. Sasuke was only six at the time, and could only stand at the side horror-stricken as he watched blood relative by blood relative fall at his what was it for? To Itachi, it was a test to his power. It was to finally accommodate to his growing lust for blood, all at Sasuke's was only some cruel, manipulative joke that he left the other Uchiha alive. Maybe deep down, it was the guilt or the far-cry that one day he'd be punished for his action. Naruto doubted it highly.

"Yes indeed Sakura, Sasuke is very misfortunate."

"No he isn't." Naruto piped up, out loud unfortunately. Eyes widening, he quickly clasped his hands over his mouth, willing himself to randomly obtain the ability of invisibility. The two girls peaked around the fence to find the Uzumaki orphan pressed against the wood, looking at them. He leaned back, expecting a beating of some sort which he received right quickly. They didn't even bother to ask his reasoning.

It was when the dust cleared did another person make his appearance: Sasuke stepped away from the grey tool-shed concealed by the fenced in area. He hovered above Naruto, arms crossed over his chest with obvious malcontent. Apparently he wasn't too familiar with Naruto's reasoning , the Uchiha got to his knees so he was sitting on the same level as his male team-mate. Looking him dead in the eye, he spoke in quiet tones: "And why don't you think that I'm misfortunate? Aren't I unlucky that my family was demolished at the hands of one I loved most?"

Naruto found himself surprisingly jealous of Itachi now for some unknown reason. That would remain a fact known to only himself. The boy began to weakly explain his reasoning: "T-to be misfortunate is t-to cause misfortune. S-Sasuke, it wasn't your fault."

"I," It was one of the moments where Sasuke truly felt taken back. A few seconds past before the elder leaned in and stole a chaste kiss from the blonde's bruised lips, a smile over his face.

_Misfortunate indeed._

_

* * *

_**Kibby:** Does this one seem a little off topic to you? It does to me, although, it could be just me.  
**Sasuke: **Yeah, kind of. I'm unsure if misfortunate is even a word. Spell check doesn't think so.  
**Kibby: **Ah, shush your trap.


	14. Chapter 14: Smile

14. Smile  
(Again, a somewhat mature warning.)

The placid teenager of Team Seven was rather blank of emotion. Only a few emotions would briefly kiss his face when he really felt like showing something. The angry sparkle in his eye when he was upset, the smug ghost of a grin of victory over his lips, his brows furrowed when he concentrated, -all were good examples of Sasuke's rare display of emotion. The greatest examples of all were his smiles however, and I've the pleasure of counting and collecting them.

His first smile I had ever encountered was back when we were just beginning chakra training. Both of us had finished scaling the biggest tree, climbing all the way to the top and racing to see who would get there first. It had been the debate of our walk home, my arm thrown over him as we limped back to the Bridge Builder's cabin. I sprained my ankle trying to keep up with him, but I didn't want to show anybody how hurt I was. Especially, I didn't want to show weakness in front of the Uchiha.

**He seemed proud of me as both his enemy, and his friend.**

We entered the house while everybody was having dinner, and of course, we entered noisily. Their heads snapped over towards us, some with a look of mild shock, confusion and amusement. I didn't know what else it could've been at the time. Maybe I thought it was the delicate smile of pride kissing Sasuke's face. Yet now, I realize that some were staring at the arm wrapped around my orange-clad torso.

The second smile I had received from him was one that made my insides churn of both worry and concern. Sasuke collapsed in my arms, and even though we were in the hell house of Haku's mirrors, my focus was only on him. Sharp senbon flew around us, most grazing my body as I protected him. I couldn't really feel the pain for the look on his face held me captivated. The smile on his face was evident, but the happiness in his eyes was not.

**That very smile on his battered face was a **_**Dead Man's Smile.**_

His hand tilted up to gently cup my face, his fingertips brushing delicately over my scarred cheeks. Eyes of obsidian clouded over with both the eminence of death, and the turmoil of his thoughts. It was the whisper over his lips that really set worries free: "Naruto-no-baka, I-, I had a dream."

I remember tears ringing my blue eyes, which I desperately tried to blink away: "Don't say that Sasuke-teme. You still have a dream..."

"I wanted to kill my brother. F-for everything he did to me, m-my dream of revenge." Bitter laughter fell from his bloodied mouth, which made my grip on him tighten. The last words uttered before he passed out for what I thought was for good were strong enough to draw forth the Kyuubi. Or maybe it was just me in fear that Haku had killed him. "How ironic is it? M-my dream of revenge makes me n-no better than he. D-don't lose yourself N-Naruto, not as I h-had..."

His third smile I had seen was when his eyes fluttered open after all the smoke cleared: I remember he was in Sakura's arms, but his gaze was intently focused on me. I stood before bloodied and battered from the battle with Zabuza and Gato's cronies. I summoned a weakened smile, unaware how my body trembled from the sobs of relief I was biting back. The Uchiha increasingly knew of that fact, and the smile over his lips calmed both me and our pink-haired team-mate.

**It was his smile of comfort. **

Yet, Sakura was persistent on squishing the life out of him so it quickly faded fast away. That too made my smile quickly dissipate, -although I had to admit, seeing my Uchiha in a chokehold by his number one fan girl tickled my funny bone. Sasuke managed to somehow choke out through clenched teeth: "S-Sakura! Stop! You're g-going to crush me!"

**His fourth smile was one when he was caught red-handed and busted stone-cold.**

It was after we had gotten back to Konoha, on a beautiful summer day none the less. Team Seven had just finished training, and both Sakura and Kakashi had left to do something to quench the heat. Sasuke however, found himself in the delicate position where he was both hot and bothered in two ways. Uchiha wasn't kidding when he said the heat got to him. And_ coincidentally_ –I could see the mild twinkle in his eye when he had left- Kakashi had left his book: Make-out Paradise.  
And that's where I came in and personally, I couldn't think it could get any hotter.

He sat in the shade of large leafy tree, eyes fluttering over the pages. I'm pretty sure he couldn't really see what was on the paper, for reading the expression on his face reading held no interest to him. His knees pressed together, half-hiding the evident pants-tent that gradually did form. I could almost see the whimper playing over his pursed lips. His hand dug into his pocket for a reason obvious to me. I suppressed the urge to mimic his actions to myself.

In that moment, I doubted I could ever find Sasuke looking sexier. I couldn't tear my eyes off of him if I tried. His hand practically shoved down his pants to gingerly caress the sensitive member underneath. I could watch him for hours really. It was my voice who betrayed me and ruined my moment: "Sasuke, what are you doing?"

"Naruto!" Sasuke made no efforts as to hide what he was doing, instead near invited me over. The glisten in his eye drew me closer. But, it was the awkward smile and tinted blush over his face that made my heart warm. It was a cute look on him I found. "I found one of Kakashi's books! Want to come and look?"

**It was the fifth smile that was one woven through with lust, his body on top of mine on that same scorching hot day.**

Months later, on his face he wore another relaxed smile. By now, I had begun to count and this made number six. He approached me a little uneasily that day, nervousness written over his being. The way he walked even seemed a little timid and unsteady, or maybe it be because he had his hands behind his back. Once he had gotten closer, I could see why.

Behind his back he held a little box, -don't get your hopes up, we were barely fourteen at the time- and from within it he pulled a golden chain. Sasuke leaned in, lips tipped down to whisper sweetly in my ear: "You've been watching me Naruto, I know you have. I also know that you know I've been watching you too."

"And what's your point Uchiha?" I felt the heat of a blush kissing my cheeks. After the last incident, everything had been a matter of avoiding each other. We vowed never to talk about it again. Yet, a part of me wanted to talk about it with him. I wanted to experience it again in my most secret of hearts. Apparently it wasn't much of a secret.

His voice came out in a heated whisper, that wracked shivers along my spine." If you promise not to tell anybody: Naruto, be my boyfriend?"

My answer was indefinitely yes, and once I had stolen his lips with my one, he tied the chain over my neck. I could feel his brilliant smile over the sensitive skin of my mouth.

**That smile was of happiness and hope.**

His seventh smile was the one smile –aside his dying smile- that I abhor the most. In the hot rain of that very summer, during the middle of the night, Sasuke had left Konoha. I had gotten to him after he and Sakura had their moment, her of course, -didn't know that we were dating. We had decided to keep our relationship a secret of course, and so it had been for a while. Yet now, at times it had seemed as if he had been trying to keep it a half secret from me.

Sakura had no right to say that she loved Sasuke, not when she knew even less than I did. Yet even so, maybe she loved him. -Big deal!  
I felt my heart ripping out every second he stood on the boundaries of Konoha, glaring at me with his eyes bleeding red in the night. I felt my voice crack. "Sasuke, why are you doing this? Why are you leaving us!? –Leaving me?"

"It's just something I have to do Naruto. I- I'm breaking up with you. Don't try to follow me." His voice came out dampened, but cut through the pitter-patter of the falling rain around us. And with that, he turned his back on me, slow enough so I could see the mocking smile touching his face. **The ghost of his Avenger's Smile crossed his lips, as he left me with my heart torn out.**

It had been two years since I had seen him last after his seventh smile. Both of us had matured in both the physical and the mental, -I myself, a third way: I refused to let my heart be broken by him all over again. I did however, wanted to beat an apology out of him.

Yet, when he stood before me in exposing uniform and all, I couldn't help but feel myself fall all over again. The anger built up in my body flowed out like a tidal wave. I could feel my cyan eyes roam over his body, breathing in the new features: a thinned and elegant face, a shapely body that still remained the same delicious, milk-white –as if he never exited the base whilst the sun was still up. A breath I wasn't aware I was holding slipped out of my lips in a low whistle.

**It pulled a smile to the Uchiha's face, one of a bitter welcoming, annoyance and bemusement**. I had found him. It was his eighth smile.

In the battle to bring Sasuke home from Konoha, I had received a total of three very different smiles. In fact, they were completely opposite.

The first smile was after I had been dealt what was supposed to be Sasuke's final blow. I felt the boy slither up to me, one of his muscular arms encircling my waist. My eyes widened, a pack of emotions hitting me like a semi-truck. I felt my body still, feeling the pain of the embraces left long forgotten to us. The pain of the kisses I could still faintly feel over my lips. It was the pain of all of the memories, -the pain of not having Sasuke with me- that would've been my final mistake.

I felt the sharp pinch of the katana blade gripped in his hand pierce through my torso. Time had slowed, and the pain had been dulled by both shock and the already accumulated pain of his betrayal. I looked at him helplessly, seeing one of his darker smiles over his face.  
**It was the smile of a bloody victory.**

His head dipped down, planting a gentle kiss over my lips as I felt my body falling limp.  
My eyes widened weakly, although I was originally straining to keep them open in the first place. Sasuke had kissed me, in front of basically everybody we had been hiding from initially. It made my blood rile inside, giving me my last burst of energy as his lips fell from mine. I felt him draw the katana out from my chest, which made me shiver a bit. Only a little though since the blood lost from the severed muscles made it hard to really feel. I looked up at him helplessly, peering into darkened eyes of coal. His showed nothing but glory of the defeat, and of unhappiness.

With my last surge of strength, I pushed my body up to his and forced the katana through me once more. Those beautiful eyes flickered wide open, concern dancing through them as fleeting as lightning. My lips moved against his in the last few moments I knew I had. My heart lurched forward for two reasons. **The tenth smile kissed his lips, one laced with confusion but acceptance. **And finally, the Uchiha –and partially I- had stabbed myself through my most vital organ.

I pulled away just enough so he could look at me where his third smile came into play: **one that screamed that he missed me. **Unfortunately, that smile was wiped clean off when he spotted a dribble of crimson leaking from my lips. Instead, a look of terror flickered across his face, for it was my turn to smile the **Dead Man's Smile**. I couldn't remember what then happened. I passed out.

"Good morning Naruto." –That was how I was greeted four weeks later, after being in a half coma. Apparently, I had just narrowly escaped death. I had a strong heart they said, but I knew what kept me going: my heart kept beating for Sasuke.

And speaking of Sasuke, -I fired up in my bed choosing to ignore the paper gown loosely hanging on my friend, searching for his voice. I founded him in the corner of my room, in a chair. His arms crossed over his chest as he relaxed in the sunlight. His ivory skin glowed in the sun's kiss. He looked like an angel. He was my angel, and –no he wasn't anymore. I had to urge myself to forget that part.

"You're alive." He rubbed at his eyes, as if he'd stayed up the whole night with me. Regarding the black bags under his eyes, he was either trying to be the next Gaara or he actually had been. "I was worried."

"You, worried? I'm surprised you actually care about me Sasuke."

"Yeah, -but you of all people should know that I never really got over you." **The shy kiss of uncertainty and apology danced over his face. **"I- I want you back Naruto, that is, if you'll take me."

My answer of course was yes, and even if I was still a little hurt inside, I ran back to my Uchiha with open arms. You can't stop love, even if you can damage it. I was certain I was head over heels for this boy and nothing now could deter that. The relation however did waiver, and we had moments where we couldn't stand to be in the same room. On the other hand, we were all over each other the other half of the time. That would continue for a little over half a decade.

Six years and his twelve, beautiful smiles later, I discovered the thirteenth in a wild twist of events. Our on and off relationship had been taking a toll on the both of us, and on the shoulders of a couple of twenty something year olds, it was tough stuff. In my hectic life, I had forgotten a lot. But, I remember it as if it were yesterday.

It was an odd day in December, the snow whipped about outside with the arrival of an oncoming blizzard. Both Sasuke and I had been forced to stay inside our apartment we shared. Our windows frosted over from the weather already deep in the negatives outside from the impending storm, -but the real storm was inside.

"You are an asshole! You went out on a date with Sakura!" I had screeched at my lover, who had to duck out of the way of a butcher knife thrown at his head. It was one of our lover's quarrels, and since I wasn't a girl, it was okay for him to hit me back. In turn, he threw the nearest thing to him at me. It was our television remote and Sasuke had better aim and reflexes than I. It hit me smack dab in the face.

I toppled down to the kitchen floor, head colliding with the pantry door. Unfortunately, Sasuke really had no sympathy for my aching head. He jumped on my body straddling me, glaring at me with eyes bleeding red. "For the love of God, listen to me Naruto!"

"No, you cheating man-whore! I'm breaking up with you again!"

His eyes rolled, pinning me down. My arms tucked above my head, my legs pinned under his shapely ass, and I rendered immobile. He caught the punch that was aiming for his face, and his annoyance level had risen. "We just got together five days ago!"

"I'm breaking up again with you! How dare you buy that _slut_ jewellery behind my back?!"

"Fuck! Naruto, she was helping me buy an engagement ring for you!"

That shut me up. My lips parted open with a comeback pinched shut as my body fell still. I looked up into his face, spotting only the **elated and hopeful smile –oddly representing his sixth smile- stretched awkwardly over his face.** He recovered faster than I had, and bent down to catch my lips. I mumbled a gentle and muffled yes as tears of happiness.

So yes, I, Naruto Uzumaki had the pleasure of counting my Uchiha's numerous smiles. Those were his thirteen beautiful smiles that I had acquired and guarded all as my own. Of course, that quickly would change. I cast a gentle look down to the pregnancy test in my hand and the thin pink line on it. Sasuke and I had been talking about starting a family of course -it had been his dream since he was six- and with a quick experiment with Naruko, I'm realizing those dreams are soon a big possibility.

"Naruto?"

"Oh! You're home, and I have a surprise." I quickly span around, hiding the test behind my back yet unable to wipe the smile off of my face. It earned an odd look from my husband of two years. Sasuke awkwardly adjusted the jounin jacket clinging off of his black-clothed torso. I giggled weakly, walking over to him: "Sasuke, you know what we've been talking about?"

"What about, -us needing more ramen?"

"No!" I pulled the test from behind me, cautiously displaying it to him. "H-having a baby."

**The fourteenth smile, -the one that filled his face before he picked me up into a marvellous kiss and twirl- was definitely the best smile yet.**

* * *

**Kibby: **So my pretties, have I made up for my lack of posts? I've been working hard to get this one up to fourteen smiles. It's pretty long and in Naruto's point of view nonetheless. The urge to use dividers is overwhelming. I really want to use them, but I've gotten comments about how I'm addicted to them.  
**Naruto: **_I- I get pregnant?_  
**Sasuke: **That is so impossible in so many ways, but I'm not minding it.  
**Naruto:** Fat chance you get laid any time soon. UNLESS WE GET REVIEWS.  
**Sasuke: **Review damn it!  
**Kibby: _Play nice boys, or I'm not going to get reviews. Thank you for the sudden lurch in reviews! I love them all! I love all of you gaiz!_**


	15. Chapter 15: Silence

15. Silence

"Here we go again." A sigh slipped past both thin lips and the thin layer of fabric around Kakashi's face. With his nose buried deep in his book, his eyes could barely glance over the tops of the pages to watch his team squabble about some trivial thing. It was Naruto on the defensive, trying to get a point across to the Uchiha. Sasuke was on the offensive, trying to prove how much of an idiot the Uzumaki was. Sakura really had no part in the fight, but sided with Sasuke because she wanted the brownie points. At times, the sensei had to wonder where on earth he had gone wrong.

"I know what I'm doing Sasuke-teme! I don't need your damn opinion about everything I do all the time!" The blonde practically screeched, which at double his normal volume that already was a little painful, the team swore that their ears had started bleeding.

"I'm saying my opinion, because you're making all of us look bad! You obviously don't understand!" The normally quiet Uchiha boy, -refined, proper and introverted-, yelled back at increasing volumes not known capable to one of his status. He near matched the Kitsune's volume, and stunned Sakura into silence. "Why don't you shut up and listen to me!?"

"You shut up! I know what I'm doing and don't need your useless and self-centered opinions!"

A glare erupted Naruto's sentence mid-way as the brooding raven grew cross: "Fine then. I won't talk to you. See if I care, for you could go rot in a hole for all that matters!"

"Well, fine then. I won't talk to you either." Naruto rolled his cyan eyes, turning away from the Uchiha in a fit. The air was left thick with anger and awkwardness, and not one of the four dare break it. Naruto because he was determined to not talk first, although the venomous comments welled behind his lips bit together begged to be released. Sakura because she simply had no words, and decided it'd be better for her safety if she stay out of it. And Sasuke, just because he didn't really feel like talking and he needed to cool down.

The grey-haired sensei was first to crack the fragile quietness, beginning to walk away after calling over his shoulder: "Training is done for the day. You guys can go sort your issues elsewhere, but I'm not having a part in it. It better be solved by training tomorrow, or so help me, I don't know what I'd have to do to you."

After Kakashi left, Sakura was the next to go. With a curt smile, she bowed politely and softly spoke to them. "I'm sorry guys, but I'm with Kakashi-sensei. I don't want to meddle with the problem. I'll see you later!"

"Fine, just leave us then." Naruto rolled his eyes, quickly tumbling into silence again. He could already feel the anger fleeting his core, since it was hard for him to stay mad. He let himself steal a glance at the Uchiha, who was already wandering off towards the tree in which both boys left their stuff. The aura falling from the ashen male could make blood run still. The blonde looked earthwards downtrodden, kind of upset at both Sasuke and himself for their actions: he knew both were too proud to apologize anyways.

The Uzumaki began to shuffle along beside Sasuke, hands fisted deep in his pockets. It earned an odd glare from the elder boy, as if to ask why the hell Naruto was following him. Of course, it went ignored. –That is until the orange-trod boy stumbled after being angrily hip-checked by his team-mate.  
Naruto picked his head up, looking at the other with a sense of: 'what the hell was that for?!'  
Sasuke merely shrugged, not even bothering to let the brash smile fall from his upturned face. It wasn't until the younger boy kicked the other in the ass did he let the smile dissipate. The Uchiha tumbled forward onto their belongings after quickly turning around and nabbing Naruto's wrist in his.

Together they fell, Sasuke first landing heavily on his back. The younger, blue-eyed and bushy-tailed blonde felt on top of him, scarcely keeping his full weight off the other's chest by holding himself up by the elbows. The impact made Naruto's head jar forward, stealing the Uchiha's slender lips in an accidental kiss.

**Time had stilled in that very second.**

Cyan eyes flew wide open, meeting an equally startled pair of obsidian. Yet, those black eyes snapped shut as his arms flew around the other, pulling him in deeper. They remained so close that Naruto could feel their hearts beating as one, or maybe it was just the thick pulsating of his own in his ears. It couldn't be deciphered at the said time, for his brain didn't work quite right. Emotions danced through his head as would a pack of wild and rabid ballerinas would, -and however that was there would be no words to actually describe it. Naruto could feel his face heat up, and his eyes tumbling closed.

Although the urge to kiss back was strong, and it tugged at his lips with wild passion, Naruto forced himself to break the kiss. Craning his neck to look at the Uchiha's flustered face from what he thought was a safe distance, his lips parted to utter a quick: 'what the hell was that for, Sasuke-teme!?'. A part of him however was pretty sure he'd be unable to choke out a response. The blonde forced forward a weak whimper, but was quickly beaten to break the silence.

"Shh." One of Sasuke's long and elegant piano-fingers wove up to Naruto's lips, hushing him back to silence. A soft smile danced across the lips that had intoxicated the younger so much so he swore his brain had fried. The Uzumaki Kitsune let his eyes meet Uchiha's with a look of question. It was quickly answered by a muted whisper just before Sasuke took him into another kiss: "Don't talk. The silence is good."

* * *

**Kibby: **I think I was straining a little with this one, and I'm sure it didn't swing the way I had originally hoped it would. I was going to write more, but that quickly turned into a smut scene followed by the day after. I don't think I can do that.  
**Sasuke: **Aww! Why not?  
**Kibby: **We're rated teen, and we've had too many sexual innuendos in the first place. Please rate and review! I may just put that scene up in a bonus chapter!


	16. Chapter 16: Questioning

**16. Questioning**

Sergeant Uzumaki's hands slammed down on the metal table in front of me with such force, I'd thought it'd collapse onto the ground. I had to give the newly promoted officer credit, for I didn't think he had the strength to do that. It was strong enough that it more than definitely shook the interrogation room with a thunderous clap. I didn't wince however, for showing weakness to such authority was feeble and foolish. Instead, I glared right back at the younger male, matching his angry cyan with a fierce black.

"You know why you're here, don't you Uchiha?"

I nodded solemnly, -not because I had anything to be solemn about, rather I wanted to get out of the room as fast as I could. It was like a detention hall to some, but it was like home to me. Being a street kid in the red light district, I was pulled inside every other week. Personally, I'd like to believe that it was just the young sergeant that wanted me coming back to him. But no, it was never as simple as that. The Uzumaki was too complicated and complex to even be defined under the term _simple_.

In the back of my mind, I like to imagine a certain blonde, police officer calling me back into his office after dragging my sorry ass of the street. He'd yell at me a little in an angry tone that still was sickly sweet. His slender brows would furrow, bringing a bronzed hand to his temples to rub the anger away. Two, full lips would pinch together as he attempted to find an answer. To me, they were perfect: moist, soft and simply begging to be kissed.

I'd lean over after my self-control lost out to my hormones, mumbling heatedly into his ear about something amiss. He'd turn his head to yell, accidentally catching my mouth in a sloppy kiss. A gasp would part his lips, making my task of pleasuring him with my tongue all the more easy. My tongue slid into his mouth, weaving tight circles around his own and massaging the insides of his cheeks and palette of his mouth. A hot and sticky moan would bubble up from the back of his throat, himself pressing that tight little body against mine as his arms devoured me in desperate embrace. Then-

"Sasuke, pay attention to me damn it! You know, and we know you did it. Just admit it!"

"-For the last damn time, I didn't kill him. I'm damn right pissed off too. It should've been me who had been granted that honour." I growled, keeping my arms crossed over the neon-orange fabric over my chest in a huff of anger. More than anything, neon was not my color and it did nothing for me. I probably looked like a behemoth. I really wanted my old clothes back, since if I had to be stuck in this hell hole I wanted to be comfortable. I could feel my blood beginning to boil with annoyance and anger not only from the obnoxious color, but from the false accusations fired at me.

Don't get me wrong, I felt no remorse for my brother's death. The only thing I regretted was that I wasn't there to watch him squirming and suffering as he endured a painful and torturous death, at my hand or another. Itachi had everything coming to him, and both Naruto and I knew that. Yet, nobody really cared about my parents –a hooker and a pimp- so his murders never went under investigation. Itachi's death however, having been a successful business man with both fame and fortune to his name at time of death, went to the media nearly moments after. I was the main suspect.

"You're not helping your situation Sasuke." Naruto growled, falling back into the metal chair situated across the table from me. He shot me a weak glare, trying to pull some kind of answer out of me. I think deep down he knew I didn't do it, but protocol demanded some kind of response from him so he'd do anything to get it.

I smirked cockily at him. "I know I'm not. But, even so, I'm going to have the biggest laugh when the evidence proves me innocent."

"The evidence points to you, Uchiha." He spat the last word out like venom, leaning across the table over multiple papers to look at me closer. My hair was tasselled, and my body bruised up from the earlier battle with the coppers, trying to bring me down to station. The jumpsuit even made the blonde's bright blue eyes sting a little. Yet if he was discomforted by my appearance, it did not show. Naruto kept a straight face. "Now, tell me everything."

I felt one of my eyebrows quirking heavenwards, opportunity playing through my mind. Now, if common sense would let me take the chance to do so. "You want to know everything?"

"Absolutely everything, Uchiha. Spit it out." That voice that fell from those wonderful lips eased out in a lazed purr. It only added to the one-sided, sexual tension rising in the air between us. With half-lidded eyes, he looked me over. I could barely catch the ghost of his sadist smile dancing over his lips. "I've been waiting to hear it."

"I love you." I let my body lurch forward and trap the young officer, his wrists caught in my hands, and his lips in a hard, lip lock. His eyes flew open as his first natural response set in: the boy began to struggle and pull away from me. But stronger than I had anticipated or not, his attempts were futile against my own strengths. His second attempt was to bite at my lips. I did not deter. The pain that shot over my mouth was nothing to the unsettling pain I felt everyday paroling my streets, alone. In the kiss, I poured out all my feelings about my misunderstanding, my sadness, my anguish, and my loneliness. Naruto took it all away from me, and in turn, gave me emotions back.

It was when finally, at long last, the boy began to kiss me back with the same raw passion of my wildest fantasies. I felt everything rush back to me. His lips parted to exert a wild moan, leaning into the kiss a little more. His hands balled tight into fists, nails digging into skin as he held himself back. Tilting his head to make easier the task of charting his own mouth out as my own, he granted me more access than I could ever imagine. His mouth felt perfect and built just to match against mine. He tasted divine, like the taste of the tang of citrus fruit yet milder and sweeter. Naruto was simply heaven to me, as I probably was to him.

A mewl escaped the young officer as the buzzing of one of the other officers outside alerted the two of us. Reluctantly, he murmured as we broke apart: "Questioning is over Sasuke, I'll talk to you later. Meet me in my office when you get done here, okay?"

I didn't get the chance to respond. My blonde had left me both breathless and alone in the interrogation room. Astonished, I fell back in the chair with my fingertips pressed gingerly over my lips. Only one word slipped from my mouth: "W-wow."

* * *

**Kibby: **Wow, I think that one went surprisingly well. Don't you think?  
**Sasuke: **I think you had a little too much fun writing that.  
**Kibby: **I admit, I did. I found this ridiculously sexy in my brain.  
**Naruto: **What do we do with you Kibby?


	17. Chapter 17: Blood

17. Blood  
(I am absolutely dying to write something smutty. The next chapter I post will be matured themed, just heads up. It's a bonus chapter. -Seventeen and a half anyone?)

The kunai passed over his wrist, leaving a long pink line symbolic of his resentment, and pain of the rejection that bubbled within him. The boy didn't flinch, only gripping the handle of the metallic weapon a bit tighter. His teeth ground, his eyes bleeding brilliant claret, -but he didn't flinch. Sasuke was improving. Instead of the paper thin cuts he was giving himself before, now, he was leaving marks that could scar. It gave him something else to remember other than that, and something other than him.

He had made himself seem a fool, shyly stumbling over the honest confession that tugged at his heart strings. Maybe he had said too much, and perhaps he shouldn't have said anything at all. It would've been better if Sasuke had just kept his yap shut.  
Of course he didn't understand, and as Sasuke watched his neon orange form recede into the dark forests, he had practically ground those feelings deep into the ground, laughing as he did so. The Uchiha was angered, and most of all, he was hurt. And through that hurt, Sasuke found himself putting a few other deep cuts over that forearm.

Finally, a whine escaped thinned lips as he watched a crimson river dripping down the length of his forearm. That was it. It was his last cut of the evening, and he had supposed it had gone a little deep. He lost feeling in that hand. The grip over the kunai loosened, letting said weapon tumble to the bathroom tile under his knees. It landed with a feint plink, and a splash as it landed in the pool of life essence pooling around him.  
Sasuke's brow frowned, concerned. There shouldn't be this much blood loss so quickly, and much more could be considered dangerous. Cutting wasn't supposed to kill him, for he wasn't ready just yet.

He didn't cut as to commit suicide, although temptation was great. No, Sasuke cut as to create for himself an escape a little more real than the imaginary world he lived in. In that world, he could be anybody and do anything with no penalties. In that world, he had a family that loved him and cared for him. He had friends that actually understood him. He didn't have the weight of his clan's massacre over his shoulders, nor did he harbour that hatred for Itachi. In that wonderful little world, he had no concerns or worries.

Yet, that was in that perfect little world. In this world however, he had a major concern and it was rather impending. Sasuke fell on his ass, his head colliding with the back of the bathtub. Golden sparkled danced and twirled before his eyes, making obvious the rich indicator that he would pass out quite quickly. Weakly, he picked up a heavy arm and took a good and lingering look at it. Maybe he had cut a little too deep this time, maybe he had severed something vital. Maybe, just maybe, this would be it.

Letting said offending arm drop back to his side, Sasuke let his body go still even though the urge to struggle was high. Even if the Uchiha knew that he was destined to die, human nature said otherwise. Panic wracked his body and tore through his brain, telling him to struggle or something. Yet, the other half of Sasuke's brain told him to remain calm, as to prolong the painful procedure of letting his blood drain. It prolongs the death, threatening to tear him away from his death grip on life.

With his good hand, the young Uchiha gripped the gaping wound over his wrist. Quickly, it tainted the beautiful porcelain a deep scarlet. Intense fear pulsating through his veins made his hands begin to quiver. He could feel his stomach flipping with nausea as his organs began to slowly shut down, one by one. The heat his body resonated slowly dissipated, fluttering away from him along with his confidence.  
A fearful laugh danced over his thinned lips, curling up into a manic smile. "Oh God, I..."

"Sasuke, are you in there? I've been looking for you forever!"

Sasuke froze, his grip over his arm tightening. Tensing to drastic conditions, his body stilled until it was as stiff as ice. His obsidian eyes widened, struggling against the heaviness that tried to tug them shut.  
Help had arrived, and if it be from anybody –including an orange-clad, blonde idiot- he'd be accepting. The Uchiha opened his mouth, but he found that he lacked strong enough voice to properly call out. Cursing, he kicked the door: yes, he was there.

"Okay, fine! If you didn't want my help you could've just said so!"

_Idiot, idiot, idiot! Open the door!  
_Sasuke willed the blond to simply enter and sweep him off of his feet, carrying him to a hospital where he desperately needed the help. He kicked the door again, growing more and more desperate. The struggle made the blood pour more freely out of his arm, accenting to the already large pool of blood around said teenager. Energy flowed out of him at alarming rates, bringing forth a small stream of tears from the Great Uchiha's eyes. Now, he could honestly say he was scared.

"I just wanted to tell you,"  
_Oh no. No, no, no, no...  
_"About earlier today, I'm sorry for running off."  
_Don't do this to me Naruto.  
_"It's just, I didn't know how to react and it really surprised me."  
_Naruto, don't say it! No!  
_"And to be honest, -**I think I feel the same way**."

The Uchiha practically screeched, although silently. He resented that he had no voice, and drove most of the strength left in his body to kick the door again. Panic now freely consumed all of Sasuke's struggling and slowing thoughts. And once that panic and adrenalin calmed, pure black would have taken over those thoughts as the cadaverous male actually became a cadaver.  
_Open the door Naruto, please! No! Don't leave me here! I don't want to die!_

"But I see that you obviously don't want me around anymore, so I'll just go. See you at training Sasuke, and try not to get too awkward..."

The sound of footsteps leaving had never sounded so utterly terrible.  
Sasuke struggled against the cold grip of a crimson death, creeping up against him. He was lying in a pool of his own demise, hatred and anger. Knowing that love was killer, Sasuke had went and fallen into it anyways. He cursed.  
Now, he'll never know what could've been between them. Now he could never experience that beautiful and warm fuzzy feeling. Now, he'd never get the chance at having a second shot at creating a family, -even if he couldn't have children. And most of all, now he couldn't-

"Sasuke?"  
A pause, -didn't Naruto already leave? Hadn't he gone already?  
"Sasuke, come on."  
The boy could feel his body shaking with content, or maybe he was shaking because he was about to die. He could see the light flooding his eyes: Naruto had come too late. This was good-bye.  
"Sasuke Uchiha, wake up damn it!"

"Ahh!" The boy shot up, a hand clamped over his chest where his heart would be. Feeling a coat of cool liquid dripping down beautifully shaped skin, he realized that he wasn't covered in blood, and instead, it was sweat. And sweat usually meant he was getting too hot, which meant he still had body heat. That meant he was still living.

"Calm Sasuke, it was just a dream!" A warm hand gently grazed the boy's arm, drawing Sasuke's attention to it. Upon his pale and heavily-scarred skin rested a bronzed hand that belonged to the one and only Naruto Uzumaki. Following the appendage with his eyes, and then passing a naked torso, he eventually meets the other's concerned blues. "And it must've been a terrible one at that. If sleeping with you gives you nightmares, then maybe we should do this less often."

"N-no, it's not that Naruto." Shakily, the Uchiha let a relieved but still semi-frightened smile kiss his lips. He was still alive. "I, -I just want to thank you."

"For?"

**"For opening the door."**

* * *

**Kibby: **Wow, holy crap. That was extremely angsty, don't you think!?**  
Sasuke: **I'll say. I thought you were actually going to kill me that time! Make me sound emo much!**  
Kibby:** And there is nothing wrong with that!  
**Naruto:** Come to think of it, that part is really well written. **  
Sasuke:** ...Kibby, do you have something you ought to tell us?

**Kibby:** Yeah, sorry for the delay my beautifuls! I've had a severe case of author's block, and utter life drama. I narrowly escaped going to the hospital for personal reasons. I just wanted to say I love all of you! I love the reviews I'm getting! I love that people are actually taking the time to read the story! Thank you everyone!


	18. Bonus Chapter: Blood Mature Theme

17.5 – Blood, Mature Themed  
(Side note: I give a quick thank you to all my readers, flamers or not. True, it did deter my enthusiasm about writing, but at second thought I really appreciate it. One person who flamed me gave me the will to improve, and made all your other beautiful comments mean a lot more to me. So, I'm going out on a limb with this one, and it is as mature themed as I had promised. I have an inkling about who may have written my comment, but then again, FF-net is a big place. If it is who I think, it's merely a side affair. And if you're reading: no hate, but, I'd appreciate if it didn't happen again.)

* * *

"Bastard, let go of me! I don't need your help." My body careened, attempting to free myself from the death grip my male team mate had on me. His body loomed over mine, himself pinning my torso tight to the ground by sitting on my stomach. And when that gorgeous body straddled the curve of mine, I couldn't help but grow a little excited inside.

"Never Naruto, because I know you do." His head dipped down, muttering what I took as a sultry purr into my ear. I shivered at the proximity. I could near see those thinned lips brushing up against my ear, curling up into a vein sneer. I could near taste the saltiness of his crimson-tainted lips. And more than definitely, I could near feel the sarcasm in his honey-dipped tone. "And aside, those cuts over your arms require my immediate attention."

"Immediate attention, my ass!" I sneered abruptly, continuing my struggle. I knew that my obvious and discontent pleads would be falling on deaf ears. Either that or-

"Arms first Naruto, ass later."

That's when I learned it was better to simply bit your lips and shout angry curses in the back of your mind. My head fell to the side, letting defeat overtake my emotions. The only thing I had left to me was that if he did attempt something, it would quickly be noticed by somebody who happened to share the training grounds with us. It was that fact alone that made a bitter smile kiss my cheeks. Now, all I had to do was decide if I wanted rescue or not and-

"Ow! What the fuck, Chuck!?" A great tug around my arms awakened me from my pondering. I glared at my medic, who was about as careful as surgeon that was a retired butcher. The bandage pulsating around my arms seemed as if it was squeezing the life out of the tired appendages. "Sasuke, what the hell do you think you're doing? That hurts damn it! Take it off!"

"Naruto, I read a fascinating little tidbit of information the other day." The roll slipped from his hand, and onto the ground. Foolishly, I watched it bounce away and envied how easily it could escape. Sasuke, apparently unhappy with my lack of attention, grabbed the small of my wrist and yanked it above my head. Not soon after did my other hand join its partner in crime. That drew my attention to my medic wannabe, and what I saw written across his face scared me a little. Over that beautiful face wrote a sensual look of pure want and need, and it intimidated me a little bit. His head dipped down to me, purring in the shell of my ear: "Suffixation is one of the best sexual arousement."

"Suffixation?"

"Choking." Sasuke released a smirk that made my blood run cold. I felt the sense of peril quickly over take my body, as I began to fear for my safety. First he takes a kunai to my arms, next he decides he wants to strangle me. My body twisted, pulling a muffled yelp from my lips as the pressure on my cuts increased. And of course, by the time I took the opportunity to squeak it was quickly cut sharp and short. What came out instead was a wheeze when the pressure on my arms was accompanied by one on my neck.

I coughed out, tears ringing my eyes: "Sasuke, what the hell! You're going to kill me!"

"Just enjoy it Naruto." A third pressure was added. The Uchiha leant his slightly larger body into mine, his left arm against mine above my head, his second over my neck, and his pelvis ground into mine. My body reacted, sending a white-hot fire from one of my most sensitive organs to the threshold of my brain. I could feel the adrenalin spring to my nether regions with an intensity I had never known. It made me gasp, or at least try to.

"Mm." Sasuke smirked down on me, continuing to dry hump me on the lush grass of the battle grounds. I gazed up into his obsidian eyes, barely able to see the fierce want displayed in them through my tears. I coughed a little, which only made the ignited that little spark. His head dipped down, whispering heatedly into the shell of my ear. "Do you know how sexy you look right now, covered in blood? Do you know how hot you're making me?"

"Well, with the obvious erection digging into my torso, I find it difficult not to know." I croaked, struggling against his arm in vague attempt to breath. A wild smirk crossed my lips, even if panic was intertwined with every of my actions. I began to flail my legs, my head, my pinned down arms, any appendage I absolutely could in failed attempts to be freed. No luck, for he only squeezed farther. A strangled cry escaped my lips, which melted into a gargle.

"What's that Naruto? You want me to let go?"

I knew my voice was useless. Merely nodding my heavy head, I winced at the pain that shot through my temples. It was as he had pushed all the blood from my lower body, rushing into my skull. I was at my capacity point. "Sasuke, let me go! You're nuts!"

"No, I'm helping you."

"You're not helping me! You're killing me!" I squeaked, barely able to squeeze the words out before I found my lungs running on empty. I could feel my face fluster blue, and my head near explode. This was it! He was really trying to kill me.  
I looked up at him, flashing my pretty blues in the best doe eyes I could muster. Sure, last pathetic attempt, but if it worked I'd say it served its purpose.

His face faltered, and for a split second I could feel the grip on my hands loosen. Sasuke gave me an opportunity, and of course I jumped at it. Ripping my heavy and bloodied arms from his hold, I forcefully shoved the Uchiha off and sat up. My chest heaved, taking in big steady gulps as I found what the miraculous element really meant. Never would I ever underestimate the gift of oxygen again. And once I caught my breath, I turned to forcefully glare at the innocent looking boy at my side. "What the hell was that Sasuke!? You near strangled me."

"That was the point." Nonchalantly, he shrugged. He picked himself up to his feet, holding his head as if he stood up too fast. He managed to look at me with a wicked smirk. "I didn't mean to kill you, just meant to toy with you. Don't worry though, we can toy later tonight."

As I watched him walk off, I could feel all thought simply drain from my head. One thing I could recall though: as much as I liked the word **_now_**, I really liked the word _**later**_.


	19. Chapter 18: Rainbow

18. Rainbow

Some people preferred their mornings to start with a breakfast of sugary goodness to get them awake for the day. Sasuke would rather to welcome the day without a daily bowl of tooth decay. It wasn't that he was simply cynical and enjoyed everything that didn't involve happiness, -not saying that he wasn't either-, but the boy did not like sweets.  
He didn't enjoy the funny aftertaste that lingered in your mouth after. Popping sugar-induced canker sores that left an even more bitter taste wasn't exactly high on that list either. The buzz in his veins did barely anything for him since self control over-ruled half of the time, and once he crashed, he felt even more miserable. Sugar gave him headaches, and made his stomach turn at the sight. He could practically feel arteries clogging when he watched his little blonde eat. So when Naruto offered to share his entourage of colourful candies, Sasuke couldn't help but inwardly gag.

"You want some?" Loudly, he chirped as he thrust a red bag into the boy's face. His wild blue eyes sparkled with childish innocence the Uchiha didn't know possible to a twenty year old. It was as if his very bubbly mood hinged on Sasuke's answer of if he wanted to destroy the enamel of his teeth. Sasuke sighed to himself, realizing that Naruto was simply on a sugar high seeing how this would make the third bag he had devoured. And the already hyperactive, blonde knucklehead on a sugar buzz was simply deadly.

"No thanks Naruto," Refusing the offer, the boy pushed Naruto's hand away whilst his nose turned up. He looked into his boyfriend's baby blues, seeing the brightness dwindle away at an alarming rate. In attempt to recover, the placid male quickly threw in: "I don't like sweet things, remember?"

"Try one! My friend from Canadian had gotten these for me and they're really good!" He insisted, pushing the bag back into Sasuke's face. Trying to convince the elder of how simply amazing they were, he threw out the name. "They're called Skittles! Try one!"

"I don't like them Naruto, it looks like a unicorn took a colourful shit in that bag." Sasuke growled, shoving it back into the boy's chest. Agitation danced through his veins, and poured out of him through a sarcastic comment: "The reason your Canadian friend probably sent them is because he didn't want them either!"

"_**She **_wanted to share the magic of the rainbow with me." Offended, Naruto pulled the candies protectively into his chest as he marvelled in the variety of colors offered to him. He began to debate on what color was his favourite, which color would be Sasuke's favourite, and what color he should shove down the Uchiha's throat. Deviously, his eyes flickered over to study the prudent boy and catch his gaze. "Sasuke, what's your favourite fruit? And you can't say tomato either, since I still think they should be classified as a vegetable."

"Fine, excluding tomatoes, I just don't like fruits."

"You're the one who asked if he could date me, idiot. That makes both you and me fruits. Do I count?"

"Not that way, Stupid. Of course I like you, or I wouldn't have asked you in the first place." The Uchiha's eyes rolled, and in a fleeting moment the boy pulled up a response as to dismiss the growing blush on his face. He cast a look over to Naruto, seeing that he still wished an answer. Sasuke growled, "Fine, if I must answer, then I think it would be some kind of berry. I think that, since I guess they can be kind of sour. Other than that, maybe green apple, some form of berry, or banana."

One of Naruto's slender brows quirked, "Well, what about lime or lemon? They're kind of sour, I suppose. Would you like them?"

"No, I wouldn't." Sasuke shook his head. "Those are too sour, and I'd rather not dip my taste buds in an acidic bath. I appreciate my ability to taste things, thank you very much."

Shrugging, the blonde grabbed both a green and yellow candy, popping them into his mouth. They weren't sour as Sasuke has supposed, but then again, these were sugar-candies with simulated flavours. Then, Naruto looked back into the bag to count down the other colors. There were three flavours left, and more than half the bag. "What about strawberry?"

"No, I don't think so. The seeds are kind of disgusting, and ruin the texture of the berry."

Okay, red skittle gone. After popping it into his mouth, the Uzumaki boy playfully rolled his eyes as to hide his building frustration. The rainbows of candies were something he had to share, and he was determined to get Sasuke to eat some of the stupid confectionaries! "But I thought you said you liked berries, you picky person. Since when did the texture of anything have to do with eating? I- Never mind, don't answer that. What about grapes?"

"Unless they're fermented, liquefied and in a wine glass, then no." Again, Sasuke shook his head much to Naruto's dismay. His arms crossed over his chest, leaning against the kitchen wall. It provided a good view to the blonde's agitated looks shot over at him, as he went through the different colors.

"It is your loss then." Naruto sighed, eating the purple candy that lie in his hand. He glared into his bag, realizing there was only one color left. He fished around inside, pulling forth an orange candy. "What about orange then? Personally, my favourite flavour, but don't let my bias opinion sway you."

"It won't." Confidence kissed the Uchiha's face, looking at the circular candy clasped between Naruto's fingers. His brow furrowed, glaring daggers at the last candy. "Out of all the fruits out there, I'm going to say orange is my least favourite. It's one of the most annoying colors out there, and you wear it so much that it threatens to blind me at times. The fruit itself is a bitch to get into, since you have to rip off the peel in tiny bits since it refuses to come off. It's so sweet and sugary it makes me want to choke, and that's when I'm not actually choking on a pip, or on the pulp. And when it's not sweet, it's unbelievably sour and totally disgusting."

"You know what, Sasuke?" Crestfallen, Naruto popped the last colour into his mouth. He held the red bag innocently in his hands, and with a sigh, glared into them. No more colors to go through and Sasuke was being exceptionally stubborn. He glared up at his boyfriend, leaning against the kitchen wall as cocky as ever: eyes closed, lips curled into a hot smirk, arms over his chest.

"Yes?" Victoriously, Sasuke cracked an eye open, only to be greeted by a bombardment of color.

"**Taste the fucking rainbow."**

**

* * *

**

**Felis:** Wow, this is something I think I'd do. Watch that temper Naruto, because that's a waste of good skittles!  
**Sasuke: **Of course you'd think that. You're the one who sent him the damned candies in the first place! Way to leave out that I spent my next thirty minutes picking candy after candy off the fucking floor!**  
Naruto: **If you ate some of the stupid skittles, you wouldn't be so bitter.**  
Felis: **Boys, play nice...**  
**


	20. Chapter 19: Gray

19. Gray.  
(This is an excerpt from the new story.)

**Side Note: Please forgive the lack of abbreviations, my spell check doesn't really like them and I despise being interrupted by angry green lines spitting hate about my grammar.

* * *

"I take it that you know the lovely new model." My tattooed friend leaned over with a hot smirk, looking at both my blank canvas and its puzzled artist standing behind it. Kiba was usually was stuck with the empty space, whilst I jumped head first into the drawing. Now, the tables have turned and I was hitting a brick wall. Apparently, the shock had written itself over my face. "Naruto, pick your jaw off the floor and start drawing. He's not going to stay that way forever for you."

"Is that really that noticeable?" I could feel my cheeks heat up, pressing pencil to the paper. It stalled, unable to start capturing the beauty of the man in front of me.

"It's as obvious as a billboard sign." I looked enviously over at Kiba, hand flying over his sketch with inspired finesse. He only stopped to meet my gaze briefly with newfound curiosity dancing in his ember-coloured eyes. "What is he to you? Was he an old friend?"

I shook my head a little, stealing a quick gaze at my childhood friend. It was as if he had frozen himself in time, not even sparing a glance. It escaped me how he could become so statuesque. I know that if we traded positions, I could not even get close to imitating him for my racing heart would not allow it. Every other second, I would be stealing glances at the artist attempting to draw me. How could you not? Sasuke was even more beautiful as a grown man. I sighed wistfully, quickly looking back down before my cheeks could heat up even more. "No, he was more than that."

"He was your lover? Kinky!"

"No!" I hissed under my breath, beginning to jot down quickly the guidelines so I could attempt to draw the man before me. "Sasuke and I weren't like that. He was my best friend when I lived back in Konoha."

"I can see it now." Kiba mumbled quietly, putting his pencil down so he could turn and look at me while leaning on his easel. His hands flew out, painting an imaginary scenario for me to see. Either that or he was swatting at an invisible fruit fly or something. "Young artist comes to Vancouver pursuing his love for the arts, until his art pursues the young artist for his love."

"Leave me out of your pornographic fantasies please." Distained, I averted my attention away from the bumbling brunette and back to my drawing. The head was beginning to form slowly with the distinctive traits of black hair and porcelain skin. God, he looked even more beautiful in grey.

"Who said it was pornographic?"

"If you're writing it Kiba, what else could it be?" I sighed weakly, continuing to, or better put, attempting to jot down the vision of loveliness ahead of me. The broad shoulders melted on the picture next, granting the man an extra tinge of maturity to his manly prowess. Sasuke would most probably have no interest in me, with my small gawky figure, not much different from the teenager I had left him as. Hell, Kiba had a better shot than I did, and knowing his constant urge for sex, he would jump at that chance. That thought made me bitter as I addressed it: "You're the one who gets all the girls, so it only makes sense that no matter what you write it's going to be something lathered in filth. It's all you probably could write."

"Ouch. Hitting below the belt much?" He returned my crass comment with mock hurt. "That stung. It appears I have hit a sensitive point, my little Naruto. There is no need to be getting defensive."

"I'm not getting defensive! I mean-" I flushed red with embarrassment before continuing to draw, willing the floor underneath my drawing buddy to crumble away so he'd leave me in peace. "I'm just a little disturbed by the image you had placed in my head. I mean, why would I care about your view on what is left of our relationship? "

"So, you're admitting you had a relationship?"

"No!" I growled, letting my hand slip. It produced an angry grey smear over my graphite drawing. Curses fell out of my mouth, knowing he had done all but ruined it. "I don't care what you think Kiba! I am trying to draw!"

"You know, you're going to hit a little bit of copy-right infringement about those twisted lyrics." Kiba chided, turning back to his pastel picture. He fetched a peachy-coloured chalk from his entourage of utensils, dragging a line over the paper before he granted me an explanation. "I think that was bordering the boundaries of something by Avenue Q. You know that musical that mocks Sesame Street pretty much, right? Yeah, that reminded me of the 'If You Were Gay' song. Isn't that simply fitting?"

The little stick of graphite in my hand snapped as my hand closed a tight fist around it. I was damn sure that my entire body was shaking with the building frustration bubbling from my core. Disposing of the useless drawing utensil in my bag, I fetched another one before attempting to draw again. I could hear Kiba giggling in background, which made it even harder to concentrate on delicately sketching out the beautiful body in front of me. I wanted nothing more than to just bury my fist in the Inuzuka's face.

Slowly, I turned back around to the front to gaze back at the model. Yet instead, my gaze met an unexpected, but welcomed surprise. For the briefest second I had caught the man's deep obsidian eyes with my bright cobalt, and caught the ghost of a smile kiss his lips. My heart began to race, pumping all the blood into my whiskered cheeks. I looked down at my piece of paper, a half-drawn Sasuke staring at something over to the right. My nose crumpled up, tearing it out of my sketch and chucking it into my bag before looking back up to the model before us. I pawned a silent theory in my mind: even when the Uchiha looks good in gray, he will forever look better in person, for no amount of drawing could do him justice.

**

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Felis: **Well, I do plan to use this in my upcoming story that I have yet to start. I must have rewritten the prologue and first chapter umpteen times already. To be honest Naruto or Sasuke don't bother me, rather it is Kiba. I can't pen him properly in any position that I find suitable. I do however, like him here.**  
Sasuke: **What are you smoking? You haven't written this story at all!**  
Naruto:** I barely know what it's about!**  
Felis: **Well, it's very out of character for me to shamelessly advertise something, but-  
**Sasuke: **Yeah, right!  
**Felis: **It is about a young artist who, as previously noted, leaves his hometown to pursue a career in arts. He sacrificed what could've been the love of his life to get there, and upon arriving, he finds that his crush is back to haunt him. Something like that, or what not. What does it matter? It won't be up for a while.  
**Naruto: **Speaking of not being up for a while, where have you been?  
**Sasuke: **Having fun with the author's note Felis? I'll finish before you add another five hundred words on. Basically, she was writing and got terribly stuck on this theme and did a whole whack load of others that were lost when her laptop failed. So, a fourteen hundred dollar repair and two months later, we're back here after a long hiatus! Now, back to writing Felis!  
**Felis: **Damn it! Fine!


	21. Chapter 20: Fortitude

20. Fortitude  
(Warning: The theme in this shot is a little unclear, and it's not as kinky as my previous ones. Trust me. ;) )

"Relax baby, the pain will be over soon." The soft coo of Sasuke's voice tumbled from his pert lips like a wave tumbling over a white sand shore. It was relaxing and soothing, but all at the same time, strong and domineering. Naruto found comfort in that fact. Either that or maybe it was the soft hand stroking along his face as he attempted to ease the pain away. Moreover, just maybe it was the fact that Sasuke's heavenly body loomed over the younger's, chest to chest in warm caress.

"I- it hurts Sasuke! I can't relax." Through grinded teeth, the young male slowly hissed an achy response as he pushed his way through another wave of pain. His body contorted, twisting up into the Uchiha's naked chest. Droplets of water leftover from the shower rolled down the hard, milky-white muscles, falling onto the boy below. Naruto would've been so turned on if his eyes weren't clamped shut from the onslaught of sudden pain.

"You have to though, or it going to hurt more." Obsidian eyes met pained cyan, and almost for a moment, they flickered a rare sympathy otherwise unknown to the Uchiha clan. Sasuke sighed, dipping his head down to catch Naruto's lips with his own in tender kiss. "Promise me Naruto, I'm going to be gentle. It's your first time, is it not?"

Heat flew to Naruto's cheeks, spraying a thin coat of rose over the bronzed skin. The boy shyly looked away, biting his lips: "Yes, it is my first time."

"At this age, I'm a little concerned. We're twenty-four now Naruto, I don't think that's natural." Sasuke blinked, holding his weight off his lover by leaning his forearms. It came naturally to the boy, judging by the steely hard six-pack that tightened as he bridged over Naruto. It was enough to temporarily distract the blonde from the aching pain between his cheeks. It quickly ended though when Sasuke began to ride the boy's pelvis, leaving his hands free to roam. They drawled along his equally as naked body. "I'll go slow, okay?"

"No Sasuke, just get it over with!" Naruto whined a little, feeling a surge of desperation course through his veins. He took the boy's hand, squeezing it slightly as he looked into the boy's eyes. "Don't toy with me like this Sasuke, just do it."

"Are you-"

"Yes, I'm sure Sasuke." He brought the pale hand to his lips, kissing it gently before releasing it back to Sasuke's control. Naruto then fell back, relaxed on the white-down pillows of the bed they shared, eyes closed and waiting.

With a brief nod, Sasuke gently prodded at the boy's full lips, requesting entrance. Naruto granted that near hesitantly, but what he received was more than tenfold of what the Uchiha expected. Cerise-coloured lips wrapped around one of the boy's piano-fingers, gently sucking the tip like a Popsicle. He teased, pulling off to produce a slick, wet pop. Sasuke shivered. "Jesus Naruto, don't do that. You're going to get me excited."

"That's the point though." Kitsune met raven with a weak smirk gently taking the boy's fingers back into his mouth. He glided the salty appendage over each pearly tooth, with no apparent destination. A hot pink tongue circled tight rings through the gaps of the two fingers that he was suckling.

Sasuke chuckled. "Alright, I get it. Yet as sexy as that is, I'm going to stop you now. I need to get you prepped love."

Sighing, Naruto let the cadaverous male take over, waiting for the pain to start over again. A curious finger prodded between two cheeks, striking at a bundle of nerves that made the boy attempt to worm away. Sasuke grabbed one of Naruto's arms with his spare hand, tugging him back in. "Don't squirm, or it's going to hurt more."

The pain between Naruto's cheeks was near blinding, tears tugging at the corner of the Libra's eyes. "S-Sasuke!"

"Shh, it's okay. Just give me a moment." He continued to fish, waiting until he found the one spot that made Naruto's toes curl. Those hidden tears tumbled down Uzumaki's cheeks, making Sasuke's facial expression damper. "Okay, you ready Naruto? This is the real thing."

"O-okay. Sasuke, I-"

"One."

Naruto paled, realizing they were actually going to go through with this. After all of these years of waiting, now was the moment where it finally was going to happen. He looked desperately into ebony eyes, trying to convince him not to.

"Two."

"I- I don't think this is a good idea." Again, he paled, now the same color of the sheets he lay on. He attempted shaking his head, but found himself paralyzed in the same position. His hands flew up, grabbing tight the Uchiha above him.

"Three!"

"Ahhh!" The taste of blood filled Naruto's mouth as the fingers tumbled from his lips. Instantly, the boy's hot pink tongue darted forward, testing to see if the boy had really gotten it. In addition, indeed Sasuke had, for there was a warm and tender gap between the boy's front teeth. "G-god! I didn't expect that to hurt so much."

"Pop, and it's done. What did I tell you Naruto?" Tumbling off the boy's chest, the boy fell on his back beside his boyfriend with victorious smirk. In his hand was one of the crimson-tainted baby teeth that he had pulled from the mouth his own tongue knew as a second home. "See? It is not that bad. Your new tooth will grow in soon, hopefully. I still don't understand how you haven't lost your teeth yet."

"To be honest, I don't really understand either." The boy sat up, spitting blood onto the Uchiha with mischievous intent. He smirked as Sasuke looked at him with a glare, mouth opening to begin to spout out about why he did that. Naruto interrupted with coy smile: "Whoops. Looks like we'll need to take another shower together, hey?"

Sasuke paused, wiping off the bloody saliva from his bare chest before he turned to Naruto smirking like the cat who finally got his bird. That smile was contagious: "You devil you. I dibs soap first."

**

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Sasuke: **You know, at first glance, this sounded a little kinky. Nice mislead. That is so original!**  
Naruto: **Yeah, I know it is! I never would've thought-  
**Sasuke: **The sarcasm leaking out of my voice is obviously lost on somebody like you, huh? And besides Naruto: you don't think.**  
Felis: **Sasuke, play nice. You're just bitter that it was a mislead in the first place. One review guys? Well, I suppose that is my fault after all. I haven't updated in two months. Is this making up for it?


	22. Chapter 21: Vacation

-21. Vacation

"Vacation is exactly what it means Naruto." The grey haired man said weakly, burying his face back in his book. His voice was agitated, which meant Naruto had asked the same question too many times. Now Kakashi was just desperate to shut him up. "It means we don't do any work for anybody. It means we are free from running away from rogue ninjas. We do not need to go locate some missing scroll. We don't need to rescue somebody's 'precious tabby cat' from a tree, and instead be chased by a leopard. It means we take a vacation, and we leave that at that!"

Defeated, the young blonde sighed as he fell back in pace with his two team mates. Perhaps they did deserve a break after all: Naruto had been training his butt off to contain the demon within, Sakura working to wow her love interest, and Sasuke working with Kakashi. The Chuunin exams had just passed, and all were a little sore from not winning the title. Did they deserve a break? Yes. Did they want one? -Most definitely not. "Kakashi? **I'm bored.**"

You could honestly see something snap inside the masked-teacher's head, and it took all of the strength and will power that he had, not to see how far he could shove his valuable Icha-Icha down Naruto's throat. He was straining now, nonetheless. He decided he could be nice for at least a moment or so. "Well, you could go, and chop wood for the fire tonight. Maybe you could somehow accidentally lodge an axe into your spinal cord, or preferably your voice box so I can finally have some peace and god damn quiet! Take Sakura with you! I can do without all the stupid fawning and dribbling over Tickle-Me-Emo!"

All three of the students blinked, watching their beloved teacher bury his face in his book in attempts to pull something worthwhile from it. It was as if he read fast enough, the three of them would just disappear. It wasn't long before they got the hint.  
"Naruto, come on. Let's go get some wood before it gets too late." The pink haired kunoichi finally killed the thick silence with a sharp command. Naruto looked absolutely elated.  
"I'm right on it, believe it!"  
It was silent again for a moment or two, before Sakura brutally murdered it again. A thick crack of a skull being broken –or nearly, for Naruto's head was far too thick for that- split through the air. "Well, get going!"  
"You're supposed to come too!"  
"I was expecting you to lead me! And-"

Sasuke watched the two of them leave silently thanking whatever heavenly force out there aided them in doing so. How Naruto could harbour a secret crush on such a yappy thing was beyond him. The boy's eyes narrowed into little slits, glaring angry holes into a tree they had passed. How he wished he could simply-  
"You know, glaring at it isn't going to make it better."  
Sasuke picked his head up, looking to his professor. For a moment, his eyes softened and showed mild confusion to his unexpected statement before hardening back to an infuriated glare. His lips curled back, daring to spit out the question. "Make what better?"  
"Sakura being pestered by that idiot isn't going to stop just because you glare at where they used to be."

"Why would I care about that pink-haired brat?" Coldly, the words tumbled from the boy's cracked lips like ice. If possible, those obsidian eyes grew blacker with a Molotov of emotions. Confusion, hate, and even mild interest danced through his brain. His answer came to him almost laughably wrong.  
"You think that I haven't noticed? The way you look at her and put up with her." Kakashi slowly turns the book away from his eyes, peering over the grey pages. "You must like her or something. And I know Naruto has no chance with her."

"I'm glad he doesn't have a chance with her." Sasuke cut the teacher off, seemingly indifferent to his disrespect. "But, would I?"  
"I know Sakura would and-"  
"Not her Kakashi." Black hair bobbled as he shook his head, "Naruto."

The book tumbled from the man's slender fingertips for a second or two, before he caught it clumsily, as if he'd just been told that the earth was flat or that Iruka was pregnant or something. He coughed awkwardly, looking to Sasuke with a puzzled look. It only resulted in the angsty teenager's cheeks tinting a soft pink and him looking away, mumbling a weak 'never mind'. Sasuke's feet padded away from Kakashi whom seemingly indifferent to Sasuke's less than dramatic leave. Where was he going? The Uchiha himself wasn't too sure. But, the twisting pit in his stomach made it painfully obvious that he was longing to see his pretty little blonde.

It had only been a few moments before he had heard a soft mumble deeper in the forest, one voice soft and the other loud as day. Sasuke had found them, and treated himself to a little eavesdropping.  
"Sakura, I need to talk to you."  
"I already told you Naruto, I'm not going to go on a date with you! My heart belongs to Sasuke, and-" As the pink haired person rambled on, the young blonde attempted to interrupt a few times before he slowly turned away, going back to getting firewood. He neared the concealed Uchiha, so even the faintest of whispers –well, Naruto whispers at least- could be heard.  
Through his clenched teeth the boy mumbled, "So does mine!"

Sasuke's heart stopped.  
It was as if time had slowed around him, being able to count how many milliseconds his steps took to reach the fox-container. One step, two steps, three steps... –the Uchiha placed himself in front of the preoccupied blonde, himself in a state of excited disarray. Naruto looked up, and dropped his sticks and twigs.

Naruto's heart stopped.  
A hot blush kissed his cheeks, after realizing what the Uchiha had just overheard him say. That, and the fact that he didn't really take kindly to people appearing out of the blue either and it near scared the life out of him. A breathless whisper kissed his soft pink lips, looking helplessly up at the boy like a deer caught in headlights. "S-Sasuke, I-"

Sakura's heart stopped.  
She had turned to see what the commotion was about. Sasuke had appeared, making the blonde stand up, frigid. He had dropped everything he had collected, already giving Sakura a reason to yell. She stayed quiet however, a mild sense of curiosity pounding through her veins.  
Sasuke stood oddly close to Naruto, chest near pressing against chest, head dipped down to glare directly into the young boy's eyes. And-  
"...Oh my God." The woman said breathlessly, her own wood tumbling to the ground. It was the incident in the class room event all over again, except not such an accident.

Sasuke's warm lips captured Naruto's full and lush mouth, dropped slightly agape. A hot tongue darted out, flicking over the soft skin before slipping inside. Naruto's arms flew around the elder's thin body, holding him tightly as cyan flickered closed. And as the horrified screech of their female teammate echoed through the woods both had a very similar thought: _**ah, vacation.**_

**

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FelisMargarita: **I'm back, and kind of disappointed. No reviews? Ah well, I suppose hiatus makes one lose popularity. I deserve it.**  
Sakura: **That's not all you deserve! Move your head closer to these fists!**  
Kakashi: **Sakura, d-don't do anything drastic alright? We need her alive to write!**  
Sasuke: **I could care less. Have you seen the SasuNaru archive? There are a million authors to write us!**  
Naruto: **Sasuke, she has at least six-hundred and something more to contribute! I'd rather not kill her yet. Please review! We get updated sooner that way!


	23. Chapter 22: Mother Nature

22. Mother Nature

Raindrops pattered across the lone, glass pane of the ex-runaway's window. Long slender fingers cupped each raindrop as it slid down the other side, almost longingly. It was as if he was jealous of how they could flit about so freely, on the outside. Those damned raindrops chose his windowsill to taunt him from his house arrest. His brow furrowed, slapping the glass before turning away from the window to face the ANBU that held him captive.

It had become a habit known well to all of the team left to watch over Sasuke. That included the old members of the old Team Seven: Sakura Haruno, Naruto Uzumaki and Kakashi Hatake. In fact, it was Sakura who had been assigned to watching Sasuke today.  
Sakura stood by the bedroom door, looking kind of helplessly at the man she had fallen in love with since adolescence. Her hands wrung together nervously, fingers weaving tight circles around each other as she pondered what to say. Jade eyes fluttered over to him with concern, a whisper over her voice: "Sasuke? Are you okay?"

The last Uchiha had said nothing, which didn't come as a shock to anybody. He hadn't said anything to anybody but the person who had returned him to Konoha, battered and broken. It bore a gaping and disappointed hole through any thoughts that Sakura had of returning to the sweet little life back when they were children. She felt that hole rip a little bigger as Sasuke rolled away from her, turning back to embrace the window with a welcoming hand.  
But, suddenly, Sasuke had flinched. Sakura peered on confused.

Sasuke looked out the window at the ground, nursing the hand somebody had thrown a rock at. The glass had done its job of deflecting the blow, but it startled him nonetheless. Squinting to get a better view, Sasuke could faintly make out a wet, orange rat, waving for him to open the window. He flipped himself upright, pushing the window open just in time to catch another rock aimed at him. A note attached to it, _'Come down, Princess.'  
_He rolled his eyes, but surprisingly found himself crawling out the window quickly so Sakura couldn't catch him in retort to the escape. Having had ignored the cry from Haruno, he dropped to his feet in front of Naruto, smirking weakly. The voice he had hidden away cracked slightly from not having used it in so long. "I'm not a Princess Naruto."

The boy grinned hotly at him, cuffing one of the other's pasty arms quickly. Sasuke looked at Naruto kind of betrayed, until he saw where the other attached. Shortly after, the blond cuffed his own arm, tugging it to make sure that neither could get free. Aqua eyes flew back up to meet the obsidian, full of happiness and apology. "Well, I did have to rescue you from a castle, guarded by a pink haired dragon."  
It won a more amused grin from the Uchiha: "And here I was under the impression that you actually liked said pink-haired dragon."  
"A fool was I as a child." Naruto said, weaving his hand around Sasuke's as he began to run. The Uchiha's mind waned out, focusing on the hand gripping his, whereas Naruto solely focused on getting them out of sight. Even if Sasuke couldn't grasp the words that tumbled out of Naruto's lips, they kept flapping out a story: "After you left, I tried out Sakura and didn't like it much. Then I tried Hinata, -the real quiet one, you know?- and decided I didn't like that either. After that, Kiba and I had a fling after a party where we both were too drunk to stand, but not drunk enough to-"

"I get it." Sasuke laughed, cutting the boy off before he could get into the juicy details of the affair with the Inuzuka. Unfortunately, the ivory toned male hadn't cut him off soon enough to not develop a healthy dose of contempt for the man. -Or Hinata and Sakura for that matter.  
The Uzumaki slowed them down to a gradual halt at the foot of the forest, before he flipped Sasuke around, so they stood toe to toe. "Honestly Sasuke? You understand?"

The innocent-mannered question spiked a healthy dose of awkwardness into the Uchiha boy, making it almost a sin not to change the conversation. Obsidian eyes turned away from the blond, to the forest. Question tumbled over his thin, soft lips: "Naruto, why are we here?"  
"I wanted to bring you here. I see the way you envy those falling raindrops." The loud and obnoxious voice that Sasuke had nightmares about fell down at least five decibels to a shy, whisper. Bronzed fingers trailed up the other's cuffed arm, tracing over the healing wounds and the newly formed scars. He touched even the old scars, like each and everyone was his fault. "You seemed really sad, like a bird with clipped wings watching everybody else fly about. I'm the one who clipped those beautiful wings. A-and, I wanted to help heal them and everybody had always told me that Mother Nature was the best healer."

Sasuke tugged Naruto's hand from his, holding it in his own hand with a weak smile: "Come on Naruto, don't be like that. I clipped my own wings, and aside, what's with all the Neji-speak?"  
"I'm serious Sasuke!" The blonde's fingers intertwined tight around the other, relishing how soft the other's skin was. "I feel really bad, and it tears me up inside that I've done this to you. I- I'm tempted to let you go back to your team, since you seemed happier with them. You don't talk to anybody, a-and you-"  
Naruto was quieted by a finger pressed to his lips, a gentle whisper in his ear: "Naruto, Mother Nature is the world's best healer, and you know that. But, do you know what the world's best medicine is?"  
"N-no, I-"

He needn't finish the sentence, for in one swift swoop, the answer was made clear.  
Sasuke pulled off, murmuring a hot: "Do you understand?"  
Naruto only nodded: "I get it."

**

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FelisMargarita: **Well duckies, I'm back. As my apologies may fall up short, -I procrastinate, so sue me- I have truthfully been through a lot. My dog has been very sick, and he's my baby so I had to be there for him. I have many, many art commissions on Gaia, and in reality, and if I want to be paid, I have to finish them. I've been afflicted with a virus and-**  
Sasuke: **Blah, blah, blah. Can we get on with it Felis? Just say you're sorry and move the hell on. I want more written.**  
Naruto: **And what about those new stories you've promised us?**  
FelisMargarita: **The art story is probably not going to get up for a bit, since the idea is there but not there in the physical yet. The Piano Man I really would like to continue, but, it's not as popular as my fox story. And I wrote the fox story as just a fun little thing too! I actually really like the other one but, seven reviews kind of hinders that. I also have a NickGreg (CSI) fic I'd like to be posting, but it's not something for the kiddies to read.

What do you think? What should I do first?


	24. Chapter 23: Cat

**23. Cat**

It was an odd day for everybody in Team Seven.

Kakashi had been trying to demonstrate the importance of transformations when trying to obtain information from others, or in other words, spying. Naruto had been the example, and he was asked to turn himself into the perfect cat. And as instructed, he had turned himself into a white, fluffy cat with bright blue eyes. It had been the only time Sakura had ever found the blond cute. The Uchiha looked on indifferently, but, mentally decided that the Usuratonkachi was more fun as a human.  
The sensei then placed a bowl of ramen in front of Naruto, and the cat went from near perfection to the same old idiotic Naruto, in cat form. Chopsticks awkwardly balanced in his paw, eating away happily. Kakashi sighed, picking him up by the scruff of his neck: "Now, in order to perfectly disguise yourself, you must lose all essence of being a human. There is a way to erase being a human, through hypnotism. Naruto, hold still please."

He placed two fingers upon the cats forehead, whispered a small chant, and the air around Naruto seemed to change. The masked-ninja put the cat down beside the ramen, and it went completely unnoticed. Naruto instead, opted to chase after a pink and green butterfly, batting at it with his paws. Kakashi smiled, proud with the presentation. He snapped his fingers after the cat, "Okay Naruto, you can turn back!"  
Naruto shook his tail, butt in the air before he pounced on the butterfly, having had swatted it down from the sky. He purred delight before bending his head down to-  
"Ew! Kakashi-sensei! That's gross!"  
"Hn."  
The grey-haired man sighed weakly, picking up the kitten in his arms, scratching its belly. He took caution to avoid the insect legs and wings hanging from the cat's mouth. A weak frown kissed his lips, letting the cat claw at his gloved hands. "I think we have a problem. These kinds of things don't wear off for quite a while. We can't just leave him like this."

"Well, what do we do Kakashi-sensei?" The pink-haired kunoichi commented, looking at the kitten with bright eyes. Her eyes then turned up to their teacher, questions ringing evident in her eyes. "I can't care for him, because both of my parents are really allergic to pets."  
"I can't take care of him either. I have a mission to go on with the other jounin tomorrow." The sensei frowned, looking to the last member of the team who wanted to shrink behind a tree. The back spikes of his unique haircut gave him away. "Hey, Sasuke? Do you mind looking after Naruto?"  
"I mind."  
"Too bad." The teacher smiled wickedly, although it never met his eyes and behind the mask, it went undetected. He thrust the white kitten into the boy's arms, who caught him, cradled like an infant in his arms. Sasuke frowned, rolling his eyes as he gathered his stuff, holding the cat all the while. Kakashi smirked a little, watching the two of them walk off not shortly after. This was going to be really interesting.

So, that's how Sasuke got stuck baby-sitting the cat.

* * *

"Look Naruto, the sooner you turn back the better." Sasuke mumbled, closing the front door to his home behind him. It clicked shut, and in that moment, the small cat escaped his hold to pad gently on the floor. It looked up at him, as if to challenge him with one of Naruto's familiar comebacks: 'So, you miss me as a human? I'm touched.'  
Sasuke blinked, rearing away from Naruto. He shook his head, going to get milk as an excuse to storm away: "It's not that I want you back as a human, but you were less troublesome as one. I didn't have to take care of you."  
'Troublesome? Have we been taking Shikamaru lessons?' The kitten pawed after him, following him with bright eyes. It gently pounced at his feet, claws retracted as not to attach himself to the boy.  
"I haven't! I hate that dirt-bag with my entire being." He shook his head, swinging the fridge door open a little rougher than he should have. Only after did the squeak of the kitten being hit with the door did Sasuke realize that. Immediately, his gaze snapped over his shoulder, scooping up the little kitten and cradling him as an apology. "I- I'm sorry. You're just so small, and-"

The kitten looked at him, mewing sadly. Its paws cupped over its triangular face almost mournfully, nursing the injury. Naruto licked the back of his paw, rubbing it over his velvety nose as if he were attempting to sanitize it. It then proceeded to pat down the white fur that stuck out from impact.  
Sasuke sighed a little, putting him back on the ground, watching it scamper away to the depths of his house. A little voice in his head pointed out how idiotic everything was, turning Naruto, -the stupidest of the three into a stupid animal like a cat and expect him to know how to get back to being human. The other part of him wished with every fibre of his body that somewhere, somehow, the blond idiot would return with that wide smile that could warm up anybody's day. He was sure of something: Team Seven was not going to be same without him.

Indeed, today was a very, very odd day for Team Seven.

**

* * *

Sasuke: **Why is this one so short?  
**FelisMargarita: **I'm just trying to drum up a little love for doujinshis. This one was drabbled away from a work called Yukimachiya. It's pretty much what's written above, but a lot longer and a lot cooler. Just showing the love!**  
Naruto: **Mew?**  
Sasuke: ***catches cat Naruto* *whines* Why can't you be human!**  
FelisMargarita: **Because, everybody loves animal Naruto! I'm going to get the next chapter up for Fox Training For Dummies the moment I get home. The road back from Alaska is long and very boring. I've written the laptop battery dead three times. Let's see how far I can get!


	25. Chapter 24: No Time

**24. No Time**

There was nothing that ruined a day more than watching a tardy, or a bad student. My day had been ruined twice over, for the one student I had to watch during my free-time was late to every class he had with me which was at least four in the six periods of the day, to which he handed in none of his homework. I pushed my black framed glasses farther up my nose, peering across the empty class-room to the student that sat before me, glaring out the window. I coughed, catching his attention before I looked back down to the papers I was supposed to grade a week from now. I had really, nothing better to do in the mean time. And-

He coughed, looking back down to his papers. I smirked inwardly, putting my pencil down to walk over to him. If he wanted my attention, he'd get it. I walked myself over to his desk, looking down at the multiple scribbles over the lined sheet of paper. I recognized them to be lyrics.

_Koi ga setsunai to sugu soba de kizuita ano yoru_  
_Datte hoka no dare yori anata no koto wo shitteiru kara_  
_Itsumo no sarigenai yasashisa sae_  
_Kono mune wo shimetsuketeku_

_Konna ni, konna ni, chikaku de mitsumete mo_  
_Doushite, doushite, tada no tomodachi na no_  
_Donna ni, donna ni, tsuyoku omotteitemo_  
_Tsutaerarenai_

_You don't understand_  
_I'm so in love with you_

_Genki nai yoro to anata kara iwareta shunkan_  
_Namida koko sue kubi de nebusoku kara de iiwakeshita_  
_Ichiban taisetsu na hito ni uso wo kasaneteku ima no watashi_

_Mainichi, mainichi, mune ga kurushii kara_  
_Ikutsu mo, ikutsu mo, nemureru yoru wo koe_  
_Hajimete, hajimete, deatta ano hibi mata_

_Modoreru no nara ii no ni_  
_I'm so in love with you_

_Aishiteiru to tsugetai ii to_  
_Mou nido to egao ni ha modorenai kamoshirenai_  
_Keredo tomodachi no mama tsugeri wa nai wa koi ijou_  
_Watashi dekinai kara_

_Hontou wa, hontou wa, zutto suki datta no_  
_Itsudemo, itsudemo, aishitsuzukete ta no_  
_Anata ni, anata ni, todoketai kimochi wo_

_Aoi sora e to sasayaku_  
_I'm so in love with you_

_Konna ni, konna ni, chikaku de mitsumete mo_  
_Doushite, doushite, tada no tomodachi na no_  
_Donna ni, donna ni, tsuyoku omotteitemo_  
_Tsutaerarenai_

_You don't understand_  
_I'm so in love with you_

I had just about finished reading the entire page when he swivelled his arm to cover it, glaring up at me. Blue eyes cast back down on the page, fluttering once over his messy writing before crumpling up the page and throwing it away. He missed the waste bin by a whole foot and the paper-recycle by another five. Then, his head buried back into the crook of his arm, glaring up at the white board. I could tell something was bothering the young blonde. I placed a gentle hand on his arm, grabbing his attention. My voice slipped away from in gentle words: "Hey, is everything alright?"

"I haven't been having a good day today Sensei." He muttered, looking back forward. "I mean, my alarm clock went off thirty minutes late so I missed the bus. So, I was late to school. Then I was attacked by Gaara and his friends and they took my backpack and hid it somewhere in the school, so I have none of my work. I was planning on telling somebody that I'm fond of them, but of course, I was detained by Kiba who had a free period, so I was late to third period. Then when we had the five minute break, I slipped out to get a drink, but, the line was big so I was late again. A-and, after lunch, I found my bag, but it was tied to the top of the climbing rope in the gym so I had to spend all lunch and a little after it to get it, so I was late again..."

And to think I lectured the poor boy out so much. A rare feeling of pity rippled through my stomach, and the hand on his arm withdrew to my side. I frowned: "Shall I talk to these other children?"

"N-no, it's quite alright Sensei." He suddenly perked up, as if I'd told him that there was a bomb under his desk. Alarm drilled through each of his features, and he became white as a sheet. "The things they would do to me if I had told somebody."

One of my slender brows quirked, looking down at the young boy with my brow knit. It struck me as odd that he would make up so many excuses to his friends, but come out and spill the whole truth to me. I was a teacher, so, shouldn't it be the other way around? I looked down at him with serious eyes. "Well, why did you tell me? Why couldn't you have told your friends this?"

"I have no friends Sir, and it's kind of because I trust you." The gaze fell from mine, and then he went back to looking back out the window he was staring out of. His eyes followed the children playing outside, the seniors with their girlfriends and other sophomores comparing technologies. He looked back up at me after a moment's silence. "Can we just say that I had no time for anything today?"

"No time..." Normally I wouldn't accept such an excuse, but if he wanted me to lie for him, I'd have no excuse not to. I smiled weakly, ruffling his blond hair. It was soft under my fingertips, almost like a woman's. I pulled my hand away before I could enjoy it too much. "Is there anything I could help you with?"

"W-well," Naruto looked up at me, and for a moment, I felt like I was an equal to him. I practically was, having been a child prodigy. I was probably only two years older than he, having had graduated a lot earlier than he. His lips curled back in a challenging smile: "Do you have any idea how to win somebody over? You know, like courting somebody."

I blinked, kind of taken back by the question. "Well, what would you like to know? More importantly, who are you trying to win?"

"Just, somebody." He smiled a bit brighter at me, looking back out the window. "This is a cool person, who's rather quiet and serious around others by open, with a sadistic and sarcastic sense of humour. This person has the kind of looks that could make the moon rile with envy." Naruto brought himself to his feet, standing in front of me. It was only then did I see how much taller he was, by an inch or three. He leaned in a little, smirking wider and wider. "-Pale skin, dark, obsidian eyes and black hair that looks oddly like a duck's ass."

"Sounds familiar." I gulped, feeling a little hot under the collar. The heat must have flushed my face, rising the pinkness to my cheeks. The boy pulled his hand up, brushing a knuckle over it. My throat went dry, and my breathing stilled.

He smiled, dipping his head down to whisper the confirmation in my ear: "Really familiar, isn't it, Sasuke-Sensei?"

My heart pounded its way up into my throat. I blinked once, meeting his blue eyes with a frazzled look of confusion. "Yes, it is. And-"

I was cut off as his lips pushed against mine, catching me in a sweet and curious kiss. I squeaked, listening to my first instincts to pull away. He caught me by my arms and kept me tight against him. The scent of oranges and the taste of cinnamon flooded my senses. My eyes drew shut, and I could only hear the heavy pound of my heart. As my brain shut down, I gradually kissed him back. But, the buzz of the timer on my desk mapped out the end of the hour he was to stay with me. He pulled away, smiling the dorky and goofy smile that I didn't need to open my eyes to see.

He kissed my temple once, leaning down to whisper casually in my ear moments before he left: "Oh, by the way Sasuke, -Gaara wasn't here today."

**

* * *

Naruto: **I'm seme! I'm seme! Hallelujah! I'm finally seme!**  
FelisMargarita: **I know Naruto, be happy. I'm one of the odd people that actually like to flaunt the Sas-Uke bit in front of people. To all of those who've read 'Just Another Corny Romance Movie', I've another smut-one shot. This one is called Sas-Uke.  
**Sasuke: **And as long as I'm alive and you value the fact that you're living too, that story is never going see print.

**FelisMargarita: **Oh, and for the people wondering what the lyrics meant, or what the song is, it's the Japanese version of 'Konna Ni Chikaku De'. If I'm correct, it's about best friends that love each other, but won't/haven't told each other. It's a story dear to my friend in Blackie and I. Plus, it makes for a good Axis: Powers Hetalia video, (ArthurKiku), which is the Spanish version. I'd check it out!


	26. Chapter 25: Trouble Lurking

25. Trouble Lurking

Feet padded a straight line across one of the beams in the ceiling, leaving a feint tapping that went near completely unnoticed. The warehouse was large, and the metal walls echoed any sound they could pick up. But, he was a master of his trade and had the skill of going undetected down to perfection. He had the Uchiha title he had to live up to, which meant everything he did had to be down to an art.

Obsidian eyes flickered to the floor, a good lethal drop below him. They closed, letting gravity tug him downwards. His slender body twisted through the air like he expected water below him instead of concrete. But the angry red of his eyes opening shattered the peaceful decent, his body violently twisting over itself so he could catch himself on a concrete banister, riding down from a high archway just above the point of breaking his legs. Finally, he twisted off, landing on the ground with a gentle thump.

From crouching he then picked himself up, full height at just a little over five and a half feet. His head held high, almost proudly. He combed back the ruffles of spiky black hair on the back of his head before he ducked behind a metal canister. Having long hair had its faults, like how it swept into his red eyes most of the time. It earned him embarrassing nick names. It was recognizable practically everywhere which was its biggest flaw. But, it was a signature of his, -spiked hair out the back.

That aside, while fingering the kunai patch on the right side of his pants, he quickly darted behind metallic object by metallic object. His figure was left concealed by anything he could meld his body to. Agility and flexibility were some of the key opponents to this exercise. As well, although the boy had the swiftness down to a hidden art, flexibility was one of Sasuke's weaker points. He could bend as well as any other boy could bend, except it took more effort and he took a little more time.

Nonetheless, he had come so far: he'd gotten through the first two-thirds absolutely flawless. When attacked by Naruto's bunshins in the open field, he quickly dismissed them with a barrage of senbon. After, Sakura attempted to catch him in a genjutsu, which failed miserably. She didn't realize that no matter what mind trick you played on the Uchiha, either sheer cunning or the sharingan would pull him out of it. He'd seen enough to completely warp his brain. And now, finally, the two of his team-mates would come together to try to take him down in a massive game of hide and seek before he could get to the 'secret scroll' hidden somewhere in the house.

Sasuke was betting his left foot that the scroll had something to do with Make-Out Paradise. And it would be a rip off too, for he wouldn't even get to keep his goods. Kakashi would come and swindle it away from him, claiming it too mature for somebody so young. He was a teen for God's sake, and Itachi left behind some pretty good magazines to occupy him through the night. And aside, he had another method he could put to play and he-

Sasuke shook his head, ridding himself from the thought before leaping into another canister, closing the lid after he did so. At least in here he could recollect his thoughts on where the scroll could've been, because although Kakashi was cunning, his students weren't. Nobody would think to look for him inside the steel death trap. When he was getting out, he could send one of Naruto's famous shadow clones out. That was the beauty of the sharingan, and the Uchiha was blessed with the ability to copy jutsus. And-

"Fancy you dropping in," A warm hand clamped around the other's arm, making Sasuke let out a small squeak of surprise. It tugged his back deeper into the blackness of the metal box. He struggled to get free, but the hold was too tight. Kakashi? No, it wasn't until they rested chest to chest did he realize. The figure was slightly smaller than he, but lacked the feminine curves of Sakura. His glare intensified as he stared at the content grin of Naruto Uzumaki. "Didn't expect me in here, did you?"

"If I did, I obviously wouldn't have entered." Sasuke twisted that slender body only ending up with his back against the other's chest. Bronzed arms hooked under the elder male's, drawing him in closer. Obsidian eyes softened a little, coming back with a playful comeback. "I knew you had a soft spot for me, but if you want me so bad, couldn't you have chosen a better meeting spot?"

"Oh come on, I know how much you long to be gang-banged in a dumpster, Uchiha." The blond purred a little, letting his chin fall on the boy's shoulder. He placed a soft kiss over the soft, placid skin of the crook of the boy's neck, exposed by the low-riding collar of the Uchiha's night-blue shirt. Sasuke shivered a little, smiling the smile known to only the two of them spread across his lips. Naruto smirked in reply: "I could shadow clone myself now if you really want to."

"No, you know I'm the one who would end up on top, like I always am." He murmured gently, letting his head fall back on Naruto's shoulder. The Uchiha decided that maybe, if for a minute of this, it was worth losing the exercise. One of his slightly cold hands tumbled down to Naruto's, gripping his fingers. Naruto placed soft kisses along the soft skin of the Uchiha's neck.

And in that moment, Sasuke decided that maybe a scroll of the forbidden Icha-Icha Paradise that would be taken away wasn't worth having a Naruto all to himself.  
Plus, the fact that Sakura was leaping about outside, searching for Sasuke in that childish game of hide-and-seek for nothing, was the icing on his cake.

**

* * *

FelisMargarita:** Well, are you happy Uchiha? You're the seme again.**  
Sasuke: **No, I'm not happy, thank you! I'm not the seme at all! You make me fail, and then you imply a joint-role of seme. I'm on top all of the time! No questions!**  
Naruto: **Aw, ruin my fun will you?


	27. Chapter 26: Tears

26. Tears  
(This is an excerpt of the Piano Man, closer to the end, so there are a lot of spoilers. Hell, this may never actually see the light of day aside here. But, if you don't want to hear it, don't read it.)

Naruto wasn't entirely sure why he still bothered coming to visit the house, but as day dragged into month, that slowly wove away to year, the young man found himself visiting the same, burnt down house.

Maybe it was the memory of a long-haired man, sitting on his porch as he waited for the blond's arrival. His ash-brown hair loose on a Monday visit and blowing gracefully in the wind, or tied back in a tight pony-tail. Either he would lean on one of the white pillars, or was in his rock garden rearranging the polished white stones.  
At the moment he stood at the base of the three concrete steps winding up to the porch, the man would look over with a smile. His slender body would straighten out, and a warm smile would kiss his lips. He'd move into the house, small body extruding elegance and poise that almost made the young piano student a little self-conscious.  
Naruto would follow awkwardly in his footsteps, kicking off his shoes upon entering the boot room. After, he'd follow the dark-haired man into the grand, cream-colored foyer, and then into the piano room: rich, chocolate brown and crème, with the occasional red or gold accent.

That house was always warm and welcome, and Naruto appreciated it a lot more than his old, run down house. But now, that house of golden highlights seemed barren and cold. The green-siding had been burnt off, and whatever wasn't damaged past the point of recognition, was peeling and falling off. Half of the roof was missing, leaving an unwelcomed skylight. The support beams themselves were noticeably burnt, even from one looking outside in. That house could've collapsed at any given second.  
The white rock garden that Itachi prided in lay scattered over the yard after the squabble that happened inside. And the moment the yellow caution tape around the house came down, he'd be on his knees day after day, piecing that garden back together. Naruto felt partially responsible for bringing the house down, since perhaps, he was the reason that the clash had happened in the first place. He wasn't just about to let himself forget that bit. So, every Monday, he visited the house.

-And today, happened to be a Monday.

With a weak sigh, he tugged on the orange hoodie he'd gotten just before moving here, and was out the door. It wasn't a far walk, but it was in the opposite direction of where he was to be going. Work was the other way, and in order not to be late for the new shift, he had to leave home a bit earlier.  
Orange converse went on next, and after that, he hit the streets. A clouded mind affected the pace of his walk, going slower as to have some time to think. He cautiously stepped over each crack of the sidewalk, as best as he could at least. The cracks around his house were atrocious, although they did pan out as he got closer to his destination.

Seeing the bright yellow border ahead sagging to the ground, it made Naruto's brow crinkle a little in disappointment. Some hoodlum had gone and torn the tape down. A bitter thought ran through the boy's head, thinking to have been one of the street rats that Itachi's brother called a friend so very long ago. They were the ones that burnt the house down, he had supposed based off of information that Neji, his friend had given him.

He peered into the house, trying to see if one had gotten trapped in there, trying to pocket something that wasn't that damaged by the fire. And as Naruto expected, in the dull light of morning just illuminating what was left of the piano room, stood a tall, lone figure. A fire built up in the boy's stomach, abashed at the lack of respect they had for the person they were trying to steal from. This was the home of somebody who had probably built it from the ground up, and they had the nerve to break that down. Now, they had the gall to steal from what they had already destroyed?  
Naruto's feet moved on their own accord, storming up those same steps to the burnt deck, and inside the boot room. It wasn't until they had got there, did the young piano student notice something a little alarming. He froze, listening to something he hadn't heard for a good, long while.

It was the sound of a piano.

The sounds of a sorrowful song danced through what was left of the halls of the sorry home. And for a moment, he could remember how majestic and glorious things were before the accident. He could practically reach out and touch the walls, smooth paint running clean under his fingers instead of coating them black in ash. He could practically see the glass chandelier high above his head, one he supposed he could touch if he were to climb that majestic, oak-finished winding staircase. For just a moment, it was like the fire had never happened.  
But, a sour note quickly destroyed whatever daydream that had entrapped him, and the house returned to the ashes it was today. The fire of rage was quenched by the curiosity of the song he was greeted with. A hand pressed against a half-wall, brushing against the dry wall that crumbled away from him in retort as he walked. Around the corner the blond turned, to the piano room once decorated so beautifully, reduced to black walls and burnt carpet. And in the middle of that room sat the grand-piano, not as grand anymore.  
Ivory keys were burnt to a smoker's teeth yellow, chipped and decayed. The shiny polish was long destroyed, if there was anything left to be polished that was. It was surprising that the piano still was in functioning condition. It stood crooked, with one leg completely burnt away and the half of another reduced to ash. The only reason it was still upright was somebody had the sense to balance it on a stack of thick books.

The culprit was even more surprising. He sat in front of the piano, on the bench that seemed ready to collapse in a given moment or two. A pin-cushion of black hair sat on a head held high, as if prided to be playing again on the same piano as the man who once owned it. A brow furrowed with concentration as long fingers -fingers bred for playing the piano in the first place- flew over the burnt ivories. A slow melody as off-key as it was from the damaged piano, poured out from the boy's heart and into the world as song.  
No sheets sat in front of him. What came from the plinky piano was nothing but the boy's very essence. He let his heart be exposed in the song, playing for the world to hear. A gift reared its head, free of the ashes and smoke that rang in the air.  
Naruto was seeing the gamin in a new light, watching the memory of the teenager as stingy and dirty as the house around him, be born again as fresh as song he played. The elegance of his elder brother which was passed down became obvious. A sharp face and graceful features adorned the youngest Uchiha, sitting atop a long graceful neck. His body toned out over the months, becoming less gangly and healthier looking. The thin shoulders and what was a smarmy body that he possessed as a teen, burnt away with the house. From the ugly, immature duckling he saw, a swan was born with an adult's essence.

"Sasuke? Is that you?"  
The song screeched to a painful stop, much to the displeasure of both spectator and the spectacle. The boy tugged his hands off of the piano, turning around to see the young student in front of him. He met the same kind, obsidian eyes that the boy's brother possessed, and not the hardened eyes of the hood that stood before him more than a year ago.  
"Were you expecting somebody different?"  
"I thought you were sent back to Cali," Naruto commented slowly, stepping forward a little. The moment felt almost surreal to the both of them, like they'd stepped back in time completely. "So, I wasn't really expecting anybody."

A familiar 'hn' tumbled away from the Uchiha's thinned lips: "I was, but the moment I turned eighteen, they wanted me out again. I should've expected as much. I guess time doesn't change everything, now does it?"  
"I'm sorry to hear that Sasuke." The rhetorical question at the end went unanswered, instead covered by the blond's apology. Sasuke shook his head, not wanting an apology for something that Naruto hadn't done. The elder blond nodded. "What brings you back here?"  
"I've come to fix up the house." He said, looking back away to the piano. A large hand stroked over the mantel lovingly and apologetically. "It's the least I could do for Itachi, to atone for the mistakes made. I didn't mean for any of this to happen, and I especially didn't mean for anything to happen to Itachi."

Naruto perked up curiously, having not heard from the old piano teacher in quite a while. The small, weak smile kissed his scarred cheeks: "How is he? –Itachi I mean."  
"He's just peachy, all warm and cushy in the freezing-cold, barren fields of Canada. He's been living with a past student, and a really close friend of his." The smile won an equally as weak chuckle from the young Uchiha. His fingers fell from mantle to keys, playing a little jingle before turning back to the blonde. His eyes were shaded and only until the mournful voice slipped through the man's lips did Naruto realize why. "He's in good hands now."

"What about you?" Before Naruto could catch them, the words fell from his lips. Sasuke stilled mid-breath, confirming that the other had hit the nail on the head.  
An exhale later and Sasuke slowly shook his head no. "I don't know about me. I've lived the streets before though, and I'll probably end up doing so again for a little at least. I'm going to be okay. Now, if you'll excuse me-"

The Uchiha bent over, grabbing a worn black duffle bag from the ground before slinging it back over his shoulder. He bowed his head politely before he walked past the young blond, threatening to disappear from the other's life forever. A part of Naruto screeched in retort, refusing to lose him forever. But, it was dulled by the shock wearing into the other's brain.  
The door behind Naruto clicked as it opened, making the former student whirl around on his heel and spit out the first words on his mind: "Sasuke, what was the title of that song that you were playing?"  
Sasuke blinked, letting his body still for a moment. A warm smile kissed his face, although Naruto could plainly see that it was so shallow it couldn't break skin. He cussed inside. He had chosen the wrong words after all, as he usually did.

And as the Uchiha left him, a small murmur escaped his lips and echoed around the hollowness of Naruto's heart. "You don't remember? That was the song we were writing together. I call it, 'Tears'."


	28. Chapter 27: Foreign

27. Foreign

* * *

Talk of the new kid flew around the school like wildfire, flying student to student. Wicked words passed from child to child, creating rumours about a boy who hadn't even arrived yet. Only a few days ago, one of the teachers let it drop that an American boy would be arriving to their private school, and in a mere minute, most of the school was buzzing with excitement.

Girls were giggling to themselves about who he'd be dating first -Sakura Haruno was high on that list-, and the others were making bets to see if they could get his number first. Boys were fussy since it wasn't a female that they were expecting. They were half-ready to beat him up if he wasn't ready to earn their respect. Talk was already high about the new kid facing off with the Subaku siblings, and money was put on who would win.

There were only a few people who didn't participate in all the babbling mess, which were the few other foreign kids and their friends. Hinata Hyuuga, Kiba Inuzuka, Shino Aburame and the last foreigner that had come to the school. Naruto Uzumaki had come from a small town in America himself, and he had his share of ass-kicking. He was going to wait outside, and collect the pieces of the new foreigner that were left over. So when the new kid arrived all of their plans fell into position.

He had arrived on a Thursday, head held high as he looked over the group before him. Black hair framed his thin, sharp face. He wore dark clothes that accented the placid skin of his body, slimming him down to make him even look sharper and more appealing. He had most of the females at drooling his feet, and any male that reared against the new kid's authority was shot down with an obsidian glare. The only time he spoke, was to introduce himself as Sasuke Uchiha. Already, he'd been accepted and was widely liked by the people in his class, and the peers of his school.

The only catch was that he wasn't the most accepting of their superficial attention. The few females brave enough to ask if they could show him around, which included the famed Sakura Haruno, were shot down with a soft smile and excuse of how he'd prefer to figure it out on his own. And all day they had asked for numbers, an email address, -absolutely anything to get in contact with him. All of which, were politely denied.

But, just as he was exiting and suspected things couldn't get any worse, they did.

"So, you're the new kid?" A husky voice sounded from behind him, waiting behind the doors that he had just exited. He had dark, dark rims circling his blank, green eyes. A scar was carved into his forehead, which made the new kid a little iffy about talking to him. He was just about the other's size, and perhaps a little taller. Initially, he was not something that the Uchiha wanted to be tangled with.

The foreign student smirked a little, merely nodded then turned to leave, when he was sucker-punched right off the steps he was about to traverse down. With a thunk the American landed on his ass. The elder boy jumped down, right beside him: "You're not much for a new kid. Aren't you supposed to be a fighter? A rebel? A delinquent? You seemed pretty high and mighty back in class. Where is it now pretty boy?"

"I have no idea what you're talking about." The Uchiha spat blood into the grass at his side, glaring up at him. He quickly dragged himself back to his feet, glaring up at him. "And, I have no idea what the hell I did to you. Can I leave now?"

"Weak. You're only trying to run away from me." He chided, rolling those sharp, jade eyes. "I'm Subaku no Gaara."

"Sasuke Uchiha." The other reluctantly returned, fingering the belt over his waistline and the large metal belt-buckle on it. "And it wouldn't be a good idea if you were to fight me. I don't fight fair."

The other rolled his eyes, glaring down at the other. "You? You look nothing more than a pretty face, scared to get your hands dirty. Hell, I dare you. Come, take a swing at me."

"You don't want to do this." His fingers toyed, unclasping his leather belt. He rolled it around his arm until only a few inches of belt remained, large buckle on the end. It was one of the lessons he learned in self-defence, back in New York. It was some of the ugliest methods of defence he had ever seen, but, if it was going to keep him from getting his teeth knocked out then maybe a small example wouldn't hurt. With a confident smirk, he looked up at the older, "Are you sure you want to do this? I'm a Harlem Street fighter."

The older eyed the belt, before nodding: "I'm not scared of a little belt. I got that when I was a child."

Sasuke shrugged, fingering the square buckle once to make it click before he fired forward, lashing the end of the belt out at the other boy. The sound of metal embedding into flesh sounded, making its presence known to anybody in the surroundings, -including the young blond waiting on the playground outside. His gaze snapped over just in time to see the new kid rip his arm back, taking with him a large chunk of flesh the size of a fist out of the other's arm. Gaara shrieked in recoil, firing away from the nut-job American.

Naruto merely blinked, leaning over to get sick a little in his mouth. But, with that aside, he ran over behind the Uchiha with the belt still in his hand. He tapped his shoulder to get his attention. Sasuke, acting on impulse, reared away ready to strike again. The boy flinched, pulling his arms up to shield his face, calling to the other in perfect English: **"Ack! Don't swing! Don't swing! I don't mean harm."**

"**You speak English?" **The belt in his hand dropped, leaving the bloodied buckle hanging loosely from his arm. The Uchiha rubbed the back of his head, looking away. **"Damn, I'm sorry you had to see that. I- I haven't done that before, I swear."**

"**Harlem Street Fighting." **Naruto said plainly, slowly uncurling himself. **"I seen some when I was in New York. My name is Naruto. Where are you from Uchiha-San?"**

"**Don't call me that. Just, call me Sasuke." **The boy said, uncoiling the belt from his arm, holding it like it was some kind of toxin he couldn't wait to be rid of. That was a might too hard on the other, and he sure as hell didn't want to do it again. He didn't expect so much to come off of his arm. **"I- ...I'm from Brooklyn. What about you Naruto?"**

"**Jersey." **Naruto said plainly, gently patting the boy's back. He smiled weakly, and for the first time that day, Sasuke felt like he was being looked at instead of somebody looking at the big image built around him. The other smiled back at him, which was about the prettiest smile the blond had seen on a boy. Naruto grinned, tucking his arm over the other's shoulders. **"Come on Sasuke. I'll go buy you a milk-shake at the little deli around the corner. You look stressed."**

"**I just ripped a piece of flesh the size of a soft-ball out of somebody. You think?"**

Naruto laughed a little, tugging him in tighter a little: **"That's why I'm buying you a shake. Let me show you around town."**

Sasuke nodded silently, looking forward at the street ahead of him. A lingering thought rippled through the back of his mind, which grew a little louder, looking up at the first person he had met here that he could call a friend. Maybe, just maybe, things could be nice here.

**

* * *

Naruto: **Um, gory much?**  
FelisMargarita: **Yeah, that's something my dad told me that he knew how to do. And my dad is like, the nicest guy on the planet. Plus, this is coming from the man who raised me through my infancy, so I'm a little scared. But-  
**Sasuke: **Finally! I get to have a bad-ass moment!  
**FelisMargarita: **...-At least he's happy.


	29. Chapter 28: Sorrow

28. Sorrow

In the first few years of its creation, the Blue Bar was always very slow as it was to be expected from a small town pub. The music was slow, but it was as predicted of the title, the bar was known for its blue's music. Aspiring musicians started to slowly flood to the bar, all to make a name for themselves or simply to enjoy the good music that played.  
It eventually drew in crowds, the musicians for the music and the fans that followed the musicians. It eventually became the watering hole to a few budding celebrities as well, and a tourist attraction to the wandering business man. It was fair to say that the Blue Bar was one of Konoha's hottest spots as of recent years. And indeed, the Blue Bar brought in quite a crowd at that: it was rumoured that the famous pink-haired celebrity. Sakura Haruno, was becoming a regular visitor to the bar.

"Yeah, and?"  
"That means we absolutely have to go Naruto!" A black haired man yelled, running a hand through his bowl-cut from frustration. They weren't moving nearly as fast as Lee wanted, and dragging reluctant Naruto along was beginning to annoy him. Every moment they spent dilly-dallying their way away from the company business meeting, the less chance the company's youthful, green beast had with the graceful young cherry blossom. "We're going to miss her! I cannot afford to miss her!"

"I don't see why we absolutely have to go, damn it." The young blond frowns, being dragged along for a ride he didn't want to be on. "I don't even like Sakura hell of a lot."  
"What?"  
"I told you, I don't like Sakura." He says weakly, rubbing his temples trying to ignore the 'I don't believe you' look written all over his coworkers face. He couldn't see the magic by hair dyed cotton-candy pink, and sparkling jade contacts. She really wasn't all that beautiful in the first place if you took away the make-up and the fancy dresses. "She isn't all that Rock Lee. And she has the personality of a pig."

"You take that back." The older male of the two growled, taking a swing at the young blond who merely stepped out of harm's way.  
"Hey, look at that Lee, we're here already." A tongue flickered past the junior executive's lips, slipping inside the bar to escape the wrath of his flamboyant friend. Smoke, soft music and laughter filled the air, just hitting the two in floods. Naruto smiled softly, weaving into the bar to order a drink before finding a seat by a small make-shift stage bathed in blue light. The blues were playing, a small trio playing -a bassist with flaming red hair and thick eyeliner; a drummer with triangular tattoos over his cheeks; and finally, an ivory skinned pianist who looked like an angel- and on top of that, they were good.

For a moment or two, Naruto lost all track of time: he was in complete bliss, lost in the music. Nothing could have ever touched him in the way this music reached out to him, resting immobile in his chair. It was such a sad sound, so sorrowful, but with such an entourage of other mixed emotions.  
He stayed there long enough to catch the attention of a band member during the last few moments of their gig. The drummer prodded the bassist, grabbing his attention away from the music and to their newest fan. They all shared a soft chuckle with each other, then continued playing. The gig went along smoothly even after the little interruption, and once the instruments went away for a break, so did Naruto.  
It was getting really late, and he was supposed to get home earlier. He had a meeting early, early in the morning, and he needed to find Rock Lee and get his ride home. The blond looked about trying to find his co-worker, seeing the bar pretty much cleared out and null of life. And upon not seeing him, a sigh of discontent bubbled up from his core, going to drown his sorrow in a few cups of alcohol.

It was the wee hours of the morning by the time that the band had finished, the bassist and the drummer breaking away from the bar to go party, then probably an after party with some females they'd picked up. But, the pianist didn't go.  
"It's alright guys. I think I'll stay here, and -y'know- clean up and drink a little I'm not a party person anyways. So go, have fun without me." Sasuke smiled weakly, looking at the few straggling musicians heading over to bang on some open instruments. Oh, the memories: that's how they'd all started.  
"So, you're going to stay behind with that new, cute little fan of ours? The Great Uchiha going to knock a few boots tonight? That's a first." The drummer smirks softly, pushing Sasuke with a wide smirk. The boy merely rolled his obsidian eyes, staring blankly at the dissipating crowds of people. The Uchiha frowned, ordering a drink and then taking it into the crowd to sip at it with a soft smile, to sit and be in solitude. And-  
"You write great music." A young blond says, sitting at the pianist's side. Sasuke turned his head, looking at his little visitor.

He had soft blond hair that even if almost combed, still was awfully messy. It tumbled into two beautiful eyes, bright and full of wonder, like they'd captured an ocean. Soft babied face, a bright smile full of delight.  
Sasuke couldn't say anything, but only summon a bright smile for him. A soft 'thank you' escaped his lips, looking down at him. He could only wordlessly ponder the boy next to him, smiling weakly. He opened his mouth every once and a while as if in attempts to say something to him, but just shut it after deciding it futile.

It was Naruto to break the silence: "Hey, your songs are really sorrowful. Even if they're the blues, you have just a really sad flare to them. May I ask why?"  
"I-" The question caught Sasuke off guard, looking down at his drink before looking back up. "A while ago I was in a very intimate relationship, and she upped and left me suddenly."  
"I'm sorry to hear that." Naruto smiles weakly, looking at his hands before he met the musician's eyes.

Another silence fell over them, again, broken by Naruto. The young blond looked over with a weak smile, "S-so... My name is Naruto. I work for a large company as a junior executive. Who are you?"  
"Sasuke," The boy says with a softer smile, looking at him with sparkling obsidian eyes. "I'm Sasuke Uchiha, budding musician."  
"That's cool."

"..."  
"...So," The pianist rubbed back his black hair, letting his smile widen as he looked Naruto over. He called the bartender over, keeping contact with the blond, heart-warming smile over his face. "Can I buy you a drink?"  
An equally happy smile kissed Naruto's cheeks, almost feeling a little flustered in the other's presence. He looked down, murmuring shyly: "I'd like that."

**

* * *

FelisMargarita: **Holy crap, I finally got around to writing this. It is Christmas morning, and I've not slept at all, and my insides are revolting on me. Fuck you strep, or tonsillitis.**  
Sasuke: **Excuses!**  
Naruto: **Hey, come on. She's actually really sick right now: maybe you can give her a break.  
**FelisMargarita: ** He can, doesn't mean he will...


	30. Chapter 29: Happiness

29. Happiness

It'd been an hour or so since he'd been sitting there.  
I'd taken a break from writing my follow-up report on the mission I'd just gotten back from to poke my head in once or twice, taking the simple pleasure of drinking in the image before me. Sunlight fell on the man I'd grown to love, creating to what seemed a halo over his already heavenly form. His arms curled around a small bundle of rose pink blankets, rocking her gently, with that sweet smile over his bronzed and whiskered cheeks. I was half-sure he didn't even know it was there. He looked so natural sitting there on that couch, almost afraid to move as if at the slightest of gestures, he'd wake the little angel up. I'd been blessed to witness the moment, for I couldn't think of a more heavenly image.

My feet moved on their own accord, slowly entering the room, coughing slightly as to alert him of my presence. His head slowly curled up, his smile growing a little before looking back down to the blankets and rocking her again. One of his fingers brushed over her fragile cheek with a soft so gentle that she didn't even stir.  
It took most of my will power to simply walk over and sit on the couch by his side. The moment was so delicate, I was almost afraid that my very being there would disrupt it. "How are you two?"  
"She's been an angel." He said, addressing me with a coy smile after stealing a long look at me. "You know, she looks just like her father."

"I- Yeah, she kind of does." A warm smile kissed my cheeks, unafraid to finally let loose and be happy. Well, at least around Naruto: something about that boy unlocked suppressed feelings from years before I'd ever dreamed of running away. It was the lost sense of elation that finally I felt free to grasp and claim as my own. He'd already given more than I could ever dream of. There was nothing left in this world for me to want.  
"Look at her. She has the nose, definitely." Naruto smiled weakly, cradling the baby even closer to his chest with one arm. His other arm slowly stretched out, poking my nose.  
The action earned a grin that spread over my cheeks like wildfire: "Yeah, she does. The poor thing, stuck with a ski-slope on her face."

"Hey, come on, it's not that bad. I think it's cute!" A nice rich and full laugh escaped his lips, turning his attention back to the baby. His free hand came up to pet the top of her head before he placed a gentle kiss on it. "You have to admit, she's adorable. Just like her mommy!"  
"Yeah, she is." I leaned over, placing somewhat of a cautious kiss on Naruto's temple. One of my arms slowly snaked around his small, petite waist, holding him and the baby closer to me. My gaze focused rather on him than the bundle of joy nestled in his arms. "She's absolutely perfect."  
Turning his head to look at me, he noticed that my soft obsidian eyes were intent on gazing at him rather than the current object of his affection. The smile dimmed to a soft, more flustered and flattered smile that only accented the soft pink that air-brushed over those whiskered cheeks. "Not me Sasuke, I was talking about the baby."

"I know. But I'm talking about you." I quipped, smirking as I drank in the motherly glow that leaked off of him. I was only half sure that Naruto was in fact a boy. He was too damn feminine for his own good, and that to me was a miracle in itself. Who would've known I'd fallen for the blond and misunderstood idiot of ninja academy, my arch enemy, my best friend, my saviour and rescuer, and now my lover? I couldn't help but steal a soft kiss.  
It was a bitter-sweet moment we shared, because for the while Naruto was able to kiss back, I got the smallest of glimpses at heaven. It was a few seconds into it when we were interrupted by a gentle sigh. The blankets moved in my boyfriend's arms, making him pull away from me. A disapproving look kissed his face, "Aw, look it Sasuke. You woke the poor thing up."

He pulled away, but I couldn't summon the normal Uchiha-cocky-bastard side of me to be angry with him. I looked at him, kissing the baby's face, cradling her. Then, with a quick movement, he freed the worming bundle of love and flesh from the pink blankets, picking her up and looking at her. A toothless smile she wore over face, staring down at the two of us giggling. A warm smile kissed my blond's face: "Where are those pretty, pretty eyes that I love seeing?"  
And indeed, did those eyes open.  
I'd fallen in love with those beautiful eyes, even if they couldn't mirror the gorgeousness in Naruto's baby blues. Hers were so round and perfect, and I could stare into that sweet sea of green forever. But, of course every moment must come to a bitter end: "Naruto, we have to get her ready. Kakashi and Sakura are coming back from their mission today, and I think they mentioned something about getting back a little earlier. They-"

"We're home Sasuke and Naruto! Thank you!"  
"So loud, so late. You probably woke up our baby Sakura..."  
The voices that leaked through house startled both of us, making both look up. The noise of two people clumsily entering their home also alerted the baby, who began to cry at the new persons that entered. I watched as my old team gradually reassembled, Sakura the first to enter and scoop up her baby, practically glowing in delight as she cooed to it. In return, the child cooed right back, touching his Indeed, her daughter did look a lot like her: soft pink hair over her small head, big and bright green eyes, one, slightly darker than the other with a watered down form of my sharingan.  
Naruto and I were baby-sitting for the last week, and I've never seen my boyfriend attach himself to something as quickly as that child. I couldn't blame him: I've always wanted children of my own one day, and even long after we left the Hatake household, the thought plagued my mind.  
"Sasuke?"  
His voice pulled me from my thoughts, and I looked at him, a smile over my cheeks as we walked to the car. It was the soft and contemplating look swept over his face that pulled at my heart strings. And almost as if he read my mind, "Can we have a baby?"

**

* * *

FelisMargarita:** Originally a spin off from Smile, -I think it was thirteen smiles- where the last smile foreshadowed a surprise pregnancy, but I thought that I felt like a misleading one-shot. Aside, you don't write the story, I do! I didn't want to put up with Naruto's little whiny mood swings and food cravings right now. I'll probably do it better on a different one shot anyways.**  
Sasuke: **That's how you lose readers. But hell, why must you always flaunt this over me! You know I wanted kids...  
**Naruto: **It's alright Sasuke. It'll happen one way or another. Even if I physically cannot provide you with children, the mysticism of fanfiction can provide me the ability to create a baby.  
**FelisMargarita: **Well, perhaps you and Sasuke can teach me and my girlfriend a lesson or two in that category...


	31. Chapter 30: Under The Rain

**30. Under The Rain**

There was just something about the rain.  
He didn't know what it was about it that set him off like this. He knew the rain was clean. It was pure. It left him refreshed, feeling like he could go stop the world. And for once, the rain gave him something else instead of his flat, monotone personality. He was doing something outrageously spontaneous for one of his caliber. Instead of inside his dorm, safe and dry, he allowed his room-mate to drag him out of his room and on an adventure. To Sasuke, this decision was borderline outrageous. His room-mate's craziness and over-excitement only solidified the thought.

You see, adventure to Sasuke Uchiha, meant a random trip to the local coffee shop. Spontaneous was taking an extra spoonful of sugar in his tea, or staying up an hour later to watch television.  
Now, adventure to that blond bubble-head called a room-mate was a completely different story. The last adventure of Uzumaki's that the placid teen had the pleasure of encountering was just last month, where the blond bound off of his couch, muttering something about the random urge that had struck him. He returned a week later with broken everything, spouting out stuff about how white-water rafting wasn't really the thing for him.  
So, you could only imagine how every bit of Sasuke Uchiha wanted to scream in refusal when his room-mate burst into his room asking to take him on -God forbid- an adventure.

He supposed that it was just the weather that made him say yes. It put him in an extremely good mood, for first. Secondly, the rain limited the amount of crazy, extreme things that Naruto could possibly force on him. Thirdly, most importantly, it gave the raven-haired man another reason to deny how wrapped around the younger male's pinky-finger.  
How could you say no to Naruto Uzumaki? Especially after the way he looked at him with those soft, aquamarine eyes, -those eyes pulled at his heart-strings. With one mere look coupled with that beautiful, pleading voice, the Uchiha had no other option but to say yes.

That's how Sasuke found himself in this very precarious situation: lost in some mysterious neck of the wood, drenched, and sore from chasing after his wild child of a room-mate. The only thing that kept the two of them together was the loud, orange hoodie that clung over the blond's body. That, and Naruto's laughter was really hard to miss. His head tipped back to catch the other man's gaze for a while, before breaking into a wide smile. "What's up Sasuke? The great Uchiha not so great anymore? Going to let a few trees get to you?"  
"N-no..." The cadaverous male shook his head, holding out his arm to shield himself from getting whipped in the face by a stray branch as he passed it by. "It's just-"  
"Just what? Getting too old?" Another bout of hard laughter as the younger took off into the trees. With a groan, Sasuke too picked up his pace to keep up with him, pushing past another trek of dense forest. What came next was almost a blessing, -they'd reached a clearing.

"Look at that!" Naruto exclaimed, flinging his arms out to gesture across the length of the field. A small, babbling river ran over the clearing, granting life to the various flowers and other plant-life. It wasn't that big, but what it lacked in size, in made up in beauty.  
It was breath-taking. The elder of the two could sit and stare at it for hours, take a few pictures to keep it with him forever. The soft sound of the river, accompanied with the sound of the rain, -it was borderline surreal.

However, he was sure the other had different ideas. "Race you across! I bet I can beat you to the-"  
"Can't we just stay here?" It was the first, complete sentence that Sasuke had spoken since he'd been dragged out. The boy straightened out his back, stretching a little. Drawing his hand up, he pulled some of his wet, black hair up and out of obsidian eyes to take in the view better. "I mean, look at that!"  
"Look at what-?"  
"Out there!" Almost incredulously now, the Uchiha flung a hand out to the clearing. The river, the flowers, the absolute perfection, -couldn't Naruto see any of that. Hell, he couldn't see the forest for the trees.

"It's a clearing, Sasuke. I've seen them before." Naruto shook his head, sliding his foot back, ready to get his speed back up to a run. With a hot smirk, he turned to look at the darker male. "And I want to race you across of it, or are you too chicken?"  
"If by chicken, you mean lazy, tired, wet and out of his element? Then yes, I am chicken." The older man shook his head, taking Naruto firmly by the shoulder to keep him still. Allowing the weakest of smiles to brush over his thin lips, he met the blonde's disappointed gaze. "Aside, don't you think you could just relax and seek enjoyment out of that? Meditating is wonderful. You should really try it."  
"Meditating sounds boring." Defeated, Naruto shrugged off the firm grip on his shoulder, taking a few steps from under the shelter of the canopy and deeper into the field. "I mean, sure, it's pretty and all. But take that away, and there is nothing left of this field. And-"

The steady whine of his voice was beginning to give the Uchiha a bit of a headache. After all, he had willingly followed Naruto outside, entertained the idea of going on a walk in the woods, and grit his teeth and bit back his opinion when their walk went off trail. If he wasn't going to shut up on his own accord, Sasuke would make him.  
When his back was turned to him, the elder took the last few steps to Naruto, clapping a hand over his mouth from behind him. With the bit of gall he summoned up, Sasuke afforded enough courage to lean in and whisper to Naruto. Drawing his body close so Naruto's back was against his chest, he made sure that his lips were almost dragging over the shell of his ear. "Even if you can't enjoy this, at least shut up so I can."  
He waited for the boy in his arms to struggle, but instead, received a different form of movement. A shiver wracked up the blond's spine, responding to the heat over his ear. In fact, that heat brought a different kind of heat to his face, which appeared in form of a sweet red blush.

Though it came as a surprise, Sasuke wasn't complaining. With the hand clasped over the other boy's mouth, he loosened his hold enough so that he could ease his forefinger over the softness of Naruto's mouth. So soft they were, like two rose petals...  
With a soft hush sound, the older pressed a soft kiss to his room-mate's temple before he tugged his body away and continued farther into the field.  
After a bit of walking alone, the Uchiha tossed a gander back to the blond who looked almost statuesque and frozen in shock. It took a few moments for him to recover, before his aqueous gaze fired back to meet obsidian with a glare. His yell cracked over the soft patter of the cold rain, which did nothing to damper the obvious flustering in his voice. "Sasuke Uchiha, what the hell was that for?"  
"I-" Caught without a retort, Sasuke had to pause a moment. The answer came to him in the silence after Naruto's voice stopped echoing. In the sound of the water flowing down the stream, and surrounding him in the cold showers, he figured out what made him do it.

It was clean. It was pure. It left him refreshed, feeling like he could go stop the world. And for once, he was doing something outrageously spontaneous for one of his caliber. With a soft chuckle, Sasuke turned his back to Naruto, continuing to walk.  
"There was just something about the rain..."

* * *

**FelisMargarita: **I definitely think I win the award for longest hiatus.  
**Naruto: **Actually, if you think about it, you haven't been gone for that long.  
**Sasuke: **That long? It's been practically a year!  
**FelisMargarita: **Ah, shush your yapping. At least I came back to the story! Originally, I didn't plan on coming back to FF-net at all!  
**Naruto: **Well, I'm glad you did.


	32. Chapter 31: Flowers

31. Flowers

I have never understood the mystic hold that flowers had over me.  
It may have started somewhere in my youth, perhaps. Maybe the odd enchantment 'rooted' itself in those many days I'd spent alone, watching the other children play with each other. There were an assortment of flowers around the swing outside the academy. So, while the kids did things like 'tag', or 'kick ball', I spent the day studying flowers, until Iruka was done with his lesson so he could take me home.  
That being said, when Iruka asked me what I had done that day, that was all I could particularly say and ask about.  
Sure, it was a bit odd. After all, I'd been raised in a community where boys my age typically took the foliage for granted. Iruka however, didn't find it concerning if his little Naruto would rather make daisy chains in his free time instead of rough about. He always said I was a tender soul, and not a ruffian.  
But even I found it a little strange.

Albeit, time passed and by my preteen years, I found myself spending less time staring at the new spring-blossoms, and more time training around them. The thought of becoming a shinobi consumed me. I'd adopted the thought that if nobody paid attention to me, I'd give them something to pay attention to.  
In my own way, I had become a bit of a blossom myself.  
Instead of the fragile, budding kid I was a few years ago, I'd turned into a bit of a flower.  
Or, as Iruka had begun to think, a bit of a weed.  
He saw my progress as a young, ninja in training, which he was proud of. It was the prankster's attitude I'd adapted -which indeed, did get me the attention I craved- was the something he was ready to rip out. It was an inhibitor of my progression as a young man, so he had said. And, as his little 'flower', he was ready to tend to his garden and rip out all of the weeds threatening my progress.  
I scoffed, asking why he was suddenly referring to me as a flower.  
He retorted with something about my hidden, but not dying obsession with them. I blushed.

The magical day came when I was a full-fledged teenager, and I'd been given a chance to prove myself as a ninja. The test to become a Genin was something I had failed, and failed again. Iruka had said something about how if I spent less time with my head in the clouds, I might be able to pass this year.  
I had taken his advice. My foliage fancy had all but died in the last few months of vigorous training. Finally, I knew deep down, that this would be the year that I finally got my head band. I would have something that would prove my worth to everybody, and I could finally show my classmates that I'm ready to be one of them. I could perhaps surpass the local asshole named Uchiha, and maybe impress the girl I fancy. And funny how things work, -her name means 'Cherry Blossom'.  
But, the day came and went, and I hadn't passed.  
To say I was upset would be an understatement. I was absolutely devastated, and not wanting Iruka to see the state I was in, I took to the woods. From there, I'd gotten a tip about a scroll from a shady source. To this day, I still kick myself in the pants for what I did, -but I could finally make a solid, shadow clone. That, now being one of my signature moves, which had saved my teacher's life.  
Iruka, in return for my hard work, surprised me. In one hand, he held an 'Orange Blossom', for his own little blossom. In the other, was his head-band.

I'd graduated from classroom to a team then, which is where I find myself now.  
With all the missions we've been doing, and how busy we've been, I don't think I've bothered to stop and smell the roses for a very long time. The only time this information has been privy to me is when one of us is hurt, and I decide to stop being the bubbling idiot I usually am, and actually apply my knowledge of herbal medicine. To my surprise, it was when we were helping the bridge builder was the first time that I've been able to utilize this.  
Kakashi had asked for herbs to help heal him from Zabuza's attack, asking one of us to go out and retrieve them. The question had mostly been posed towards Sakura. Imagine the surprise when I had been the first to offer going. Of course, my little 'cherry blossom' had made some kind of rude remark about how I wouldn't know the first thing about herbal medicine like she did. I still insisted, and Kakashi not wanting to deal with us fighting, had let me go. Begrudgingly, Sakura shoved a basket and bottles into my arms for collection.  
I then took my leave, heading out to the woods.

The open area was -needless to say- quite open, and flat. No trees to suck up all the water, and a lot of light because of it, -which I knew were the ideal conditions for the herb I was to collect. I found it growing in a circular patch, tucked away beside some Mayflower -an exclusive, meadow flower- and other wildflowers like it. Dropping to my knees, I began to dig a few of them up.  
It became almost rhythmic, -dig up an herb, pull it from it from the soil, put it in the basket, rinse, repeat. I couldn't tell you exactly how long I'd been out there, getting these herbs. It took somebody calling out to me, wondering if I needed help, to actually yank me from my cycle. My head shot up, staring at the pink trim of a young woman's kimono.  
My face flushed pink, looking back down.  
I told her that I was almost done anyways, but I still thanked her for the offer. But insistent, she asked if I was making some kind of medicine, and if she could help. Not wanting to deny her again, I agreed. Aside, in my daze, it seemed that I had picked more herb than I had bargained for.

Haku, she said her name was.  
I smiled, returning the favor. We didn't say much else to each other whilst we made up the medicine, -at least not until a few minutes in. Apparently, some movement behind me had caught the young woman's eye. Alarmed, her head shot up.  
I tilted my gaze from the greenish paste we were making just long enough to meet her gaze. It took a bit before she met my silent question. With a tut, she looked back down to her work with a shy smile. "It's nothing. Just thought I saw something watching you."  
"Me?" That caught me by surprise. But not wanting to dwell on it, I simply shrugged it off and went back to work. Silence fell between us again, both focused on finishing up. A good ten minutes went by until she broke the serenity between us again. Her head snapped up again, but this time, her hand snapped down to one of the folds in her kimono. It was a defense gesture, which made me realize that she was carrying. She glared a bit for a while before she settled back down to finish up.

"What was that about?"  
She didn't pick her head up this time, sealing up another bottle and putting it in my basket. It took a moment before she actually responded to me. "Naruto, do you have anybody special to you?"  
Again, she had caught me off guard. With a weak nod, I went back to my work, trying to avoid eye contact. "Yeah, I do. What of it?"  
"Would you do anything to protect that person?"  
"Of course. Why are you asking?"  
Her hands again dipped down to her kimono, moving slow as if a warning of sorts. Confused, I watched her hands for a bit before meeting her gaze. Amber brown met my own cerulean blue, and with a deadly intensity, she muttered something under her breath. I asked her to repeat it. "I would too."  
She moved so fast that I barely could avoid it. Haku had dipped her hands into her pockets, pulling out a handful of senbon she had thrown in my direction. I ducked down in time so only one hit my cheek, the rest flying past me into the woods behind us. Startled, I looked up at her almost betrayed.  
But, she merely smiled weakly. "There was a wild dog behind you Naruto."  
I nodded complacently, reaching down to recollect all the bottles of medicine that I'd tipped over.  
Call it nerves, call it paranoia, -I never really believed her.

By the time we had completed and collected everything, the sun had made her long trek through the sky. In the distance, I could hear Sakura calling out for me, demanding that I get my butt back to the cabin.  
Haku looked to me, smiling weakly. She said she enjoyed making medicine with me. I returned her awkward smile a little more earnestly, placing a few extra bottles in her hand as thanks. I thanked her for my help, getting to my feet so I could help her up as well.  
Haku smiled weakly, taking my hand as I pulled her up. I could tell that something was bothering her however. I asked what is was, thinking it pertained to the sudden attack on the 'dog'.  
She shook her head, black hair falling over her shoulder. With a subtle movement, she pulled it back and looked me dead in the eyes. "I'm a boy."  
Haku had smiled at me a bit brighter, nodded to me once before he had left me alone in the meadow.  
It was then that I dropped the medicine all over again.

"Naruto Uzumaki! There you are!"  
The shrill cry of my female team-mate pulled me from the shock. She darted over to me, bending down to collect the bottles at my feet, dumping them into my basket as she reprimanded me for my carelessness. After a long, heavy sigh, she went on to scold me about staying out too late. "We were worried sick about you Naruto, Sasuke and I have been sent out looking for you for the last three hours. These are really big forests, although it didn't help that we went the wrong way at first, but-"  
I zoned out. The one thing that my little 'cherry blossom' was infamous for was rambling.  
It was after she looked at me, and with a cheery, little giggle, told me that we should head off. I murmured a soft reply of agreement, pulling myself back into the conversation. Sakura lifted the basket from my arms, taking off in front of me to find Sasuke.

From in front, she persisted babbling on about the adventure she had gone on with duck-butt. She told me about how she almost got to hold his hand, but he strayed away when he thought he heard talking. For a moment she lost him, and he came back all scratched up.  
Sakura said that Sasuke merely dismissed it as a vine he must have brushed up against.  
When we finally found Sasuke again, I realized how modest she was being with that statement. It looked like the Uchiha had picked a fight with a porcupine and lost. He tutted, looking away almost bitterly when he saw us approaching, -more appropriately, when he saw me compress a snicker. Sakura must not have picked up on it, since she asked him what was wrong before he could dismiss her.  
"...I lost something..." He muttered after a long pause, hands into his pockets as if he was gripping something. I gave him the quick one-over, but aside the hand thing, nothing seemed to be out of place. However, before I could retort, Sakura flew off to find Sasuke's lost 'something'.  
It was a little sad how Sakura seemed to stop thinking when Sasuke was involved.

The woods almost seemed to open up and swallow our female team-mate, leaving Sasuke and myself alone. The Uchiha craned his head over to look at me, arching an eyebrow as if to ask why I hadn't left already.  
I scoffed. "You didn't think that I'd actually go out and look for something you haven't lost?"  
Sasuke didn't do anything to defend, or mutter some derogatory statement to chase me away, -which caught me a bit off guard. It was one thing that he lied about losing something, but another thing that he didn't seem to mind that I stayed behind with him. I thought maybe he lied it to continue being in solitude. It didn't sit right with me.  
He had to have another reason in mind. I cast another glance over to him only to be met by his unwavering stare.  
His clothes were ripped up, as was his skin lacerated by long, needle like wounds. I opened my mouth to ask, but the way Sasuke was looking at me made me keep quiet. Closing my mouth, I looked away again. However, I felt that he did not. To say it made me uncomfortable would be an understatement, because for some reason, I felt almost accused.

Thick silence fell between us, but before I could break it, he spoke up.  
It was so hushed that I didn't understand it the first time around. I asked him to repeat it, and when he did, the answer startled me. Thinking I misunderstood, I looked at him again for clarification.  
With a frustrated groan, Sasuke walked over to me and shoved a bundle of Mayflowers -not yet bloomed- into my hands. He leaned in, whispering quickly to me. His breath tickled my ear, sending a foreign shiver down my spine. "Don't talk to strangers. Especially ones with senbon."  
Then, just as suddenly as he had sprung the Mayflowers on me, he had backed up and started to walk away.

I didn't bother going after him.  
I stood still, holding the fragile, blue meadow-flowers in my hands as I studied them. It'd been a while since I bothered to simply look at flowers, and to be honest, it was something that I missed. Each delicate, aqua-bud all held such life, beauty, and maybe even mystery.  
I looked back up to where Sasuke had left me with nothing but the confusion that danced through my head. Since when did he noticed my little infatuation with flowers? Then again, when it came down to it, I guess I never have understood anything about the mystic hold that flowers have over me.  
But maybe, just maybe somebody else did.  
A little tingle of happiness interrupted my moment of contemplation, which startled me a little.  
As foreign as it was, I could feel something else blooming.

* * *

**FelisMargarita: **This was a little stretched, you think?  
**Naruto:** Do they even have Mayflowers in Japan?  
**FelisMargarita: **Who said that we were even in Japan?  
**Sasuke:** And who said you even know what a Mayflower is? You don't even go outside.  
**FelisMargarita: **Shaddup.


End file.
